Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

105. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will give an assurance that social welfare recipients will continue to receive their weekly payments at their post office or sub-post office and that they will not have to compulsorily open bank accounts in order to receive their payments in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12413/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I was very pleased to sign a multi-year contract with An Post for the delivery of over the counter cash services to welfare clients in December last year. This contract enables the disbursement of cash payments to some nine hundred thousand (900,000) customers currently. These services are provided through a network of over 1,300 post offices and agencies around the country.

We are all aware of the clear trend towards electronic payments which are being adopted by consumers generally as a matter of choice. These behavioural choices are very apparent among the Department’s clients also and the Department is willing to accommodate clients exercising this choice where possible in the interests of economy, efficiency and national competitiveness. The rationale for a progressive migration of welfare payments to electronic channels has been set out in the Department’s Payment Strategy which was published last year.

I have previously and consistently stated that no customer will be left without payment of an entitlement because they cannot receive their payment electronically. My position remains unchanged.