Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 449: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he has arranged for or sought the necessary staff redeployments from other Departments to his Department in line with the increased number of applications for various payments arising from the economic situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39199/10]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 454: To ask the Minister for Social Protection his plans to ensure the availability of the necessary staff to speed up the process of all social welfare payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39204/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 449 and 454 together.

Since May 2008, 766 staff have been assigned to my Department, mainly through the transfer and redeployment of staff from other Government Departments. The urgent need for resources was due to a number of factors including the significant increase in the Live Register, an increase in claims for other schemes operated by the Department, together with vacancies arising due to the Incentivised Career Break Scheme, the Incentivised Early Retirement Scheme and other normal retirements and vacancies.

The staff assigned have filled additional posts and critical vacancies in Local Offices, Central Support Units, Scheme areas and the Department's Inspectorate. Some of these posts were sourced through a staff levy imposed on other Government Departments in April 2009. Staffing needs are kept under constant review to ensure that best use is made of all available resources.

It is also recognised that the provision of additional staff in itself is not the only appropriate way to deal with the rising claim load. Since early 2008 all aspects of the work associated with the processing of claims has been examined and streamlined wherever possible without, of course, compromising our scheme controls. In this context, the Department has introduced a range of process improvement initiatives regarding claims for Jobseeker's Allowance and Jobseeker's Benefit. One of the most significant initiatives, aimed at reducing queuing times and waiting times, involves the customer attending the office by appointment at which time the claim is taken and decided.

In addition, a range of other process improvements have been introduced which include:

§ A more streamlined procedure for claimants moving to jobseeker's allowance when their jobseekers benefit expires;

§ A streamlined process for people who had a claim in the previous two years;

§ Application forms for the jobseeker schemes are now available on the Department's website. This means that anyone who wants to make a claim can print the form at home and bring it to the local office completed. This helps reduce queuing times;

§ More straightforward procedures for providing evidence of identity and address have been introduced;

§ The Department has also simplified processing methods for some customers who work casually, part-time or on systematic short-time work.