Written answers

Tuesday, 12 July 2022

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Social Welfare Offices

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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617. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an Intreo centre at Navan Road, Cabra West, Dublin 7 will reopen to the public upon the completion of refurbishment works. [37334/22]

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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618. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide a list of the refurbishment works being carried out at the Intreo Centre, Navan Road, Cabra West, Dublin 7 [37335/22]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 617 and 618 together.

Significant maintenance and upgrade works to the Intreo Centre on the Navan Road in Cabra, Dublin 7, had been scheduled for 2022. The work originally planned was based on no significant changes being made to the services being provided by Navan Road Intreo Centre, the way those services are delivered and the layout of the building. Given the significant increase in construction and maintenance costs in recent months, including in building supplies, it was decided, before finalising the works contract, to review the future use of the building at Navan Road to ensure efficient and effective use of resources.

A comprehensive review was undertaken in 2021 of all services and activities delivered by the Department’s network of local offices, with the purpose of determining the best future operating models for delivering these services and activities.

The review identified that significant portions of work that had previously taken place in Intreo Centres had been moved to alternative work streams, with the most significant being the processing of payments by the National Processing Team (NPT) and the handling of phone and electronic contacts by the National Intreo Contact Centre (NICC). The review also identified substantial benefits for standardising and streamlining work previously replicated across different local divisions.

In terms of the layout of the Department’s Intreo Centres, this means that instead of large waiting areas with rows of seats and multiple hatches, the Department will be providing self-service zones with interactive touch screens, child friendly spaces and autism supportive sensory rooms. The layout will reflect the fact that many customers will be there by appointment and won’t need to queue.

The work in Navan Road Intreo Centre had been planned some time ago and it was considered appropriate to pause the works while further consideration was given to the optimal use of the building.

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