Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 841: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will review the staffing rosters and opening hours of social welfare offices here in view of the increase in the number of people seeking social welfare; if she will clarify that such adaptability exists within her Department and is not hampered by public service freezes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30196/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The majority of the Departments local offices are open to the public from 9.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. including lunchtime. Branch Offices, which are operated by private individuals on behalf of the Department, are open from 9.30 a.m. to 12 noon and from 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. The Deputy will be aware that over the past year or so I have advised the House of a range of initiatives that have been introduced in local offices to help us deal with the influx of claims. One of these initiatives involves dealing with customers by appointment and deciding claims were possible when the customer attends for their appointment. This initiative has greatly reduced processing times for a significant number of customers and will be in operation in 20 local offices by the end of the month. It is intended to extend this system to other offices over the coming months.

Since May 2008, some 350 extra staff have been assigned to local offices, new Central Support Units and the Departments Inspectorate. Of these, some 190 have been assigned since January 2009 as follows:

16 Social Welfare Inspectors were assigned in March 2009 to various locations around the country to undertake means testing and other work associated with processing claims for the jobseekers allowance.

68 posts have also been assigned to date for Local Office Central Support Units in 6 locations.

Some 110 posts have been assigned to Local Offices around the country, some of which have been filled by temporary staff, pending the assignment of permanent staff. The Department is continuing to monitor staffing levels and to assign staff as required. In addition, processes and procedures surrounding the taking of claims and claims decisions are being reviewed constantly and where efficiencies can be achieved new, streamlined procedures are being introduced.