Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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365. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason the position of community development officer with responsibility for community employment schemes has been moved from Ballina DSP office to Castlebar DSP office; the reason Ballina will no longer have a community development officer with responsibility for community employment based in the town; the recruitment process for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3598/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The staffing needs for all areas within the Department are continuously reviewed, to ensure that the best use is made of all available resources with a view to providing an efficient service to those who rely on the schemes operated by the Department.

This includes meeting commitments under the Pathways to Work programme to provide opportunities, support and assistance to people on the Live Register by intensifying the Department’s level of engagement with people who are unemployed and, in particular, those who are, or become, long-term unemployed.

As part of these commitments, and in particular to enhance the roll-out to the Intreo service, it has been decided to reconfigure Community Services in County Mayo concentrating this area of work in Castlebar and freeing up staff in Ballina for activation duties.

The service being provided to Community Employment schemes in County Mayo will not be affected by these changes.