Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 65: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the progress which has been made in the transfer of community welfare officers from her Department to the Department of Social Protection; the number of such staff who will continue to serve under her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34671/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The Health Service Executive, the Department of Social Protection and my Department are in discussions with the relevant unions to implement the Government decision to transfer the Community Welfare Service (CWS) from the Health Service Executive to the Department of Social Protection (DSP). Despite intensive engagements having commenced late last year, there was little progress made due to the ongoing industrial action across the public service at that time.

The staff concerned are employees of the HSE, not of my Department. I have been advised that further facilitated talks, under the auspices of Labour Relations Commission, are now underway . Both sides met as recently as Friday last, 1st October, and a series of intensive meetings is scheduled to take place over the course of this month. Management intend that the transfer will take effect from 1st January 2011. It is also intended, in the light of the increased demands on the CWS, that the full complement of staff involved in delivering the Service, will now transfer to the DSP. The precise number is to be established shortly, but it will be in excess of 1,000 WTEs. I understand that an updated census of the full staff complement should be completed by the HSE this week.

Ultimately, this transfer is one which will see the Community Welfare Service being properly located in the Department of Social Protection, and will result in a better service for the public who avail of it. In implementing the transfer, the DSP is committed to protecting and enhancing SWA service delivery. It will mean that CWOs will work alongside local DSP Office staff, Job Facilitators, Social Welfare Inspectors, Placement Officers, etc., to deliver an improved, unified service to the public who avail of it.