Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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181. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will conduct a study on the number of staff hours in her Department that are spent on requesting Members of Dáil Éireann to withdraw parliamentary questions. [23205/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department of Social Protection (DSP) receives the highest number of Parliamentary Questions (PQs) of all Government departments. For example, since March 2011 to date,, approximately 41,000 PQs have been tabled to DSP. The vast majority, some 70% of those tabled, refer to the status of social welfare claims by individuals in relation to the variety of schemes administered by the Department.

A practice of withdrawing PQs has been in place for many years and has assisted the Department to cope with the large volume of PQs it receives annually. Under this process the Department provides the Deputy with the relevant information in relation to the individual query, in writing, and the TD then withdraws the question. The staff time involved depends on the nature of the query and how quickly contact can be made with the relevant TD's office.

This practice is in place in relation to PQs on individual social welfare claims and not policy matters.

The Department of Social Protection has always been committed to being as transparent and helpful as possible to all members of the Oireachtas. In this regard the Department has for many years operated dedicated enquiry telephone lines and specific email addresses for each section in the Department specifically for the purpose of dealing with queries from members of the Oireachtas in relation to individual cases/claims. Briefing sessions are also provided to Oireachtas members and their staff in relation to the schemes and services provided by the Department.