Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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386. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her Department representatives, formerly community welfare officers, have access to information such as bank statements and other documentation supplied by customers to her Department's local offices; and if not, if consideration will be given to introducing a system onto which documents could be uploaded giving DSP representatives immediate access and facilitating faster decision making regarding temporary social welfare supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26122/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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A key objective of the transfer of the Community Welfare Service (CWS) from the Health Service Executive to the Department on 1 October 2011 was to ensure that the best use is made of all available resources and to provide a streamlined, consistent and enhanced customer facing service at a local level for clients of the Department.

As a result there have been a number of initiatives undertaken in recent years that has resulted in a fundamental re-structuring of the administration of this service including the re-structuring of satellite CWS clinics, which has resulted in smaller clinics been consolidated into larger centres with increased numbers of staff. The relocation of services coincides with greater integration between the CWS and other locally based staff of the Department in meeting commitments under the Pathways to Work programme to provide opportunities, support and assistance to those on the live register. This process is further enhanced by the continued roll out of the Intreo service nationwide which includes a single integrated decision-making team that integrate and streamline the processes formerly undertaken by the different agencies amalgamated into the Department, including the CWS. One of the benefits of this process provides for increased sharing of information as appropriate.

In addition to these measures, the Department is currently rolling out phase one of an integrated IT system supporting all aspects of regional services including the CWS. This system will facilitate and further improve the sharing of information across the Department.