Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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247. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the status of a query (details supplied) regarding persons wanting to receive their social welfare payments through their local post offices instead of banks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17936/16]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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283. To ask the Minister for Social Protection why he continues to correspond with persons in receipt of social welfare payments requesting them to consider opting for payment by electronic fund transfer despite the fact these same persons have indicated they want to continue using the post office; if he is aware of the importance of these transactions to the post office network; why he is continuing with this policy while a Government backed process is underway to secure and develop the post office network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18230/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 247 and 283 together.

I can assure the Deputy that my department is not undertaking any measures which seek to influence customer choice in the manner of payment away from cash payments at the Post Office.

To specifically address the deputy’s query my department has a cohort of jobseeker customers who are classified as casual jobseekers. These are in-work customers who can claim a jobseekers payment for 2 to 3 days per week or who work week on/week-off. These customers were paid by cheque each week.

Those customers were paid by cheque due to the changing nature of their work/claiming patterns and the short turn-around time to issue payments. It is important to note that they were not paid via post offices under the department’s existing cash payments contract with An Post.

My department has developed its payment capacity in respect of changing work and claiming patterns and is offering payments direct to accounts in financial institutions for casual Jobseeker customers thereby increasing customer convenience. This is in line with wider departmental policy where the focus is on ensuring that in-work customers are paid by the most convenient method possible.

My department did write to all of these casual jobseekers offering the option of a payment to an account. The vast majority have responded and opted for payment to an account.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.