Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 117: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she is confident that the work carried out by staff on temporary contracts in the central rent office at a location (details supplied) can be done efficiently when those contracts expire, particularly in view of the backlog within the social protection system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12936/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Late last year agreement was reached between the Health Service Executive (HSE) and unions representing the Community Welfare Officers that the staff of the Community Welfare Service (CWS) would transfer to the Department of Social Protection with effect from 1 January 2011 on a secondment basis initially. The period of secondment is to last for 9 months until the end of September 2011. During this period these staff will remain employees of the HSE but are subject to the general direction and control of the Minster for Social Protection.

From 1 October 2011 it is intended that the staff of the CWS will be transferred fully to the Department as civil servants and will be accountable to the Minister in the same way as other civil servants. I have been advised that a number of staff in the CWS were employed in a temporary capacity by the HSE in 2010 for a period of six months, including some of the staff in the rents unit in question. These contracts were subsequently extended to June 2011 from when they are to be gradually withdrawn.

In the context of the transfer of functions from the HSE to the Department a number of Transition Managers were appointed from within the Community Welfare Service, to work with the Department of Social Protection to oversee the transfer of the service to the Department. The relevant transition managers are currently in the process of examining the service implications arising from the loss of these temporary staff.