Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
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Question 119: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if social welfare offices (details supplied) in County Tipperary have taken on extra staff to deal with the increase in workload; the number of applications received for unemployment assistance benefit in the local offices in 2008, 2009 and to date in 2010; the number of staff in each office each year to deal with the applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23869/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The number of posts allocated to Thurles Local Office since June 2008 is as follows:

Thurles local office is the parent office for Roscrea and Nenagh which are branch offices operating under a contract for service to the Department. All decisions relating to the two branch offices are made in this parent office. Branch office managers are responsible for recruiting their own staff. However, officials of the Department meet with the Branch Managers' Association on a periodic basis to discuss operational issues including staffing. The branch office manager's annual performance assessment, which is undertaken by management from the parent local office, involves an evaluation of the staffing levels to ensure that service requirements are being met. The number of staff in Roscrea Branch Office and Nenagh Branch Office since 2008 is as follows:

Table 1 shows the number of claims for jobseeker's allowance and jobseeker's benefit received in Thurles Local Office and in Nenagh and Roscrea Branch Offices between January 2008 and 15 May 2010.

Table 1

New Applications received for Jobseeker's Allowance (JA) and Jobseeker's Benefit (JB) Jobseeker's Credits (JBCO)