Written answers

Tuesday, 19 May 2009

Department of Social and Family Affairs

Social Welfare Offices

12:00 pm

Photo of Seán SherlockSeán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 316: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when plans for the relocation of the social welfare office in Mallow, County Cork will be finalised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19602/09]

Photo of Seán SherlockSeán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 320: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when additional staff will be deployed to the social welfare office in Mallow, County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19603/09]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 316 and 320 together.

The Department's public office in Mallow is a branch office which is not staffed by civil servants but operates under a contract for service on behalf of the Department. Under the terms of their contract Branch Managers are responsible for recruiting their own staff and are required to employ sufficient staff to deliver an efficient service to the public. Claims from Mallow Branch Office are decided in Mallow Control Office which also deals with claims for Fermoy and Macroom Branch Offices.

The additional number of people applying for jobseeker payments has placed increased pressure on all of the Department's offices and on branch offices. Staff in these offices are working extremely hard to process claims as quickly as possible. During the past year an additional 190 staff have been assigned to local offices throughout the country. The Department could not assign additional staff to Mallow Control Office as accommodation in the office was at capacity.

Several options in relation to the provision of a new Control office for the Department in Mallow have been investigated by the Office of Public Works. This was done in the context of providing a viable accommodation solution which takes account of the operational needs of the Department, the service needs of the local community and also the need to demonstrate value for money to the taxpayer in the acquisition of any property there. I understand that negotiations are now at an advanced stage in this regard and it is hoped that staff will be relocated to new accommodation by the end of the year. In the interim, to support offices such as Mallow where accommodation is at capacity, the Department has set up four central decision units around the country and a further three are planned. In addition, since early 2008 we have been examining all aspects of the work associated with the processing of claims and streamlining them wherever possible with a view to expediting decisions.

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