Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 110: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the proposed capital programme regarding the refurbishment or replacement of social welfare offices; if an office (details supplied) in County Kildare is included in such a schedule and the timescale of each project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29040/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The significant increase in the Live Register over the past number of years has placed additional pressures on my Department's local offices in terms of providing a satisfactory service to the public. The Department accepts that as a consequence, some of its buildings require refurbishment, extensions or, in some cases, replacement. The Department relies on the Office of Public Works (OPW) for the provision of new office accommodation. To this end it has requested the OPW as a matter of priority to acquire new local office accommodation in a number of locations throughout the country to enable it deliver a satisfactory service to the public.

These priority locations include Loughrea, Balbriggan, Swords, Castlebar and Newbridge. The provision of new offices is dependent on sufficient resources being made available to the OPW for these projects. The final schedule and timescale for each location will be discussed with the Office of Public Works in light of decisions on budgetary allocations that will be made in the context of the forthcoming Budget.