Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 132: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position regarding the staffing levels at four social welfare offices in Mallow, Cobh, Bantry and Carrigaline in County Cork; the number of positions that have become available in these offices but have not been filled due to the employment embargo, the waiting periods for social welfare applications in these offices; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42468/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Details of the number of staff assigned to each of the offices in question are shown in Table A of the attached tabular statement. The recruitment embargo has not impacted on the staffing of the offices in question. In relation to the Department's Carrigaline office, work is in train on the assignment of four permanent staff. However, temporary staff are in place pending the assignment of the permanent staff. Due to accommodation restrictions in Carrigaline, three of the temporary staff are based in the Department's Cork offices.

There are accommodation issues in the Department's Mallow office that are being addressed at present. The need for additional resources will be reviewed and the necessary assignments made when the accommodation issues are resolved. The average processing times for claims decided in October was 3.14 weeks for jobseekers benefit and 7.38 weeks for jobseekers allowance. This is the average nationally and there are fluctuations between offices. Details of the waiting times at the offices in question are set out in Table B in the attached tabular statement.

Table A – staffing levels

Table B – waiting times in weeks