Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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41. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of service users who attended the weekly community welfare service clinic held at the inspector's office in Falcarragh, County Donegal, for each month in 2015 and in 2016 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7491/16]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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42. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason the weekly clinics held as part of community welfare services in the Falcarragh and Dunfanaghy areas of County Donegal have been merged; if she is aware of the negative impact which this reduction to services will have on service users in terms of having their individual welfare needs assessed and the appropriate allowances allotted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7492/16]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 42 together.

The number of customers seeking to access the Department’s Community Welfare Service (CWS) in Falcarragh has fallen considerably, to a level where it is no longer sustainable to maintain a clinic there. At present the number of weekly customers attending the Falcarragh clinic has fallen to an average of 5 a week or less. The fall in numbers is due to the far quicker turnaround on decisions on long term Social Welfare payments and also due to the administration of rental support being transferred to the Local Authority under the Housing Assistance Payment scheme.

The reduced numbers of clients who may continue to seek assistance at the Falcarragh clinic are being facilitated at the nearby weekly clinic in Dunfanaghy Intreo Office where the full range of DSP Services will also be available to customers.

If a person is unable to travel to the Dunfanaghy clinic, for example due to illness, a phone number has been provided for the customer to contact the CWS. In such circumstances, a home visit by a Community Welfare Officer will be arranged if necessary. Arrangements for emergency cases requiring the assistance of the CWS outside of normal working hours will also continue to remain in place in Falcarragh. A contact phone number for accessing this is with An Garda Siochana, HSE and other relevant Authorities.

The local Social Welfare Inspector will continue to be available to customers in Falcarragh and will continue to provide a public access day on Friday mornings.

The most recent statistics in relation to the numbers of service users who attended the weekly CWS Clinic held at the Inspector's Office in Falcarragh, in County Donegal is set out in the following table.

Attendance at Falcarragh CWS Clinic From 15^thJuly 2015 - 31 March 2016