Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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90. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to ensure the social welfare office will remain in place in Castlepollard, County Westmeath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8448/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Department currently has 58 Social Welfare Branch Offices at various locations throughout the country. Each Branch Office is operated and managed, under a contract for services, by a Branch Manager who is required to act as an agent for the Department in the area served by the office. Branch Office managers operate on a contract for service and are independent contractors. The Contract for the delivery of Branch Office services in Castlepollard expired on the 9th of February 2018. However, I decided, on an exceptional basis, to offer to extend the term of the contract of the incumbent Branch Manager for a maximum period of 12 months from the date of expiration and he has accepted this extension.

The Department is currently engaging in a process to enhance services across the branch office network, which includes Castlepollard, in order to ensure that an efficient and quality public service which properly reflects customer needs is provided.