Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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439. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of community welfare officers that work in County Cavan by office; the number of community welfare officers in the county that have been absent from work due to illness in the past six months by office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47639/21]

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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441. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the average time that community welfare officers have been absent due to illness in County Cavan over the past six months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47651/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 439 and 441 together.

The Community Welfare Service in my Department delivers the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is the safety net within the overall social welfare system. This scheme provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents.

There are three Community Welfare Officers on the Community Welfare Services team in Cavan. The team is supported by a Clerical Officer.

I am not at liberty to disclose personal data in respect of individual officers but can confirm that two members of staff are currently on sick leave.

I am assured by local management that arrangements were immediately put in place to ensure continuity of this critical service. Two Community Welfare Officers were reassigned from other areas on a fulltime basis and the situation is kept under constant review. All applications have been actioned and there is no backlog.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.