Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 229: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she has carried out a review in her Department to determine the extent to which the services she has in place are adequate to meet the full range and nature of inquiries presenting; her view on the necessity to respond more rapidly to the various applicants for social welfare payments during the economic downturn; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41038/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department is committed to delivering a quality service to all its customers. A continuous programme of process improvement initiatives is underway aimed at streamlining the processing of claims, supported by modern technology. Operational processes and procedures and the organisation of work are continually reviewed to ensure that processing capability is maximised and that claims are processed as expeditiously as possible having regard to the eligibility conditions that apply to each scheme. Since early 2008, the Department has experienced significant pressure on customer services due mainly to the increase in the Live Register. In recognition of this pressure, the Government has approved an increase in the number of staff working in the Department. A range of process improvement initiatives to deal with the increased volume of Jobseekers claims has been introduced. In addition, five Local Office Support Units have been set up around the country to support the processing of claims. These measures, coupled with the additional resources assigned to Local Offices, are having a positive effect on customer service.

To ensure that claims are processed as efficiently as possible and that customers receive their entitlements in a timely manner all application forms have been designed to facilitate the use of scanning and automated processing. An on-line facility to enable applications for a number of schemes, i.e. State Pension (Contributory) and Household Benefits, to be completed and submitted on-line, has been implemented. This facility will be extended to other schemes in the coming months. The objective is to enable people to access services at a time and place that best suits their needs. The use of on-line application forms reduces the administrative burden for customers and facilitates efficient processing of claims by the Department. A new telephony system and call management software, as well as new working arrangements, have been introduced in headquarter buildings and local offices to deal with some half-a-million telephone calls received per month. These initiatives have resulted in a noticeable improvement in telephone response times and overall call management. I am satisfied that the initiatives underway in the Department, the improvements to processes and procedures, and the Department's use of modern technology will deliver an improved and efficient service to customers.