Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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525. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the protocols that are in place to assist hearing impaired customers who are unable or inhibited by Covid restrictions and concerns from personally attending social protection offices; if staff have specialised training in the way to deal and respond to such impaired customers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34917/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Social Protection is committed to delivering an excellent customer service as pledged in its Customer Service Charter. My Department always aims to ensure that all customers are served in a fair, courteous, and timely manner, provided with full and clear information regarding entitlements and have their privacy respected. 

The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the important role that digital channels play in delivering the services of our Department, and the number of my Department's services that are available online grew substantially over the last two years through MyWelfare.ie and WelfarePartners.ie. Customers can increasingly use MyWelfare.ie to access income support payments such as Jobseekers, Working Family or Paternity/Maternity payments, quickly and easily. 

In relation to hearing impaired customers, my Department provides an Irish Sign Language (ISL) Interpretation service to any customer who may request or need this service in order to interact or engage with the Department. An in person ISL interpreting service can be arranged where necessary by staff of my Department. Each of the Intreo Centres of my Department is equipped for using Irish Remote Interpreting Service (IRIS). IRIS provides a live video-link to an Irish Sign Language interpreter. In addition, a remote ISL interpretation service is available which can be used when hearing impaired customers interact by means of a virtual interview.

All ISL Interpretation is provided free of charge to customers.