Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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278. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if there is a service that will signpost people to their entitlements under social welfare, particularly for vulnerable groups such as older people. [49302/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department is fully committed to ensuring that members of the general public are fully aware of the welfare supports and to ensure key changes are communicated to them.

The Department offers a range of services for vulnerable groups, including supporting people as they get older. We use a range of channels to make sure that information on these services reaches all of these groups. These include:

Public information campaigns

Campaigns span national and regional print media and radio, digital, social media and outdoor advertising.

Customer Service Channels and Customer Engagement

My Department provides face to face engagement and information on entitlements at its network of Intreo centres and branch offices.

In 2021, our staff answered a total of 7.2 million telephone enquires providing information and advice to members of the public.

For example, to date this year, 261,264 calls have been answered in relation to Pensions and Household benefit queries.

The department attends several public events throughout the year including the “SeniorTimes Live!” event and the National Ploughing Championship.

Publications

Our Your Guide publications include one entitled "Retired and Older People” and this provides information on social welfare supports for older people. This is available online and in hard copy in Intreo centres.

Website www.gov.ie/welfare

The department’s website provides information on all the department’s schemes and services in an accessible format.

Our gov.iecontent had 15.26 million page views in 2021.

Stakeholder Engagement

Both I and officials from my Department engage regularly with stakeholders, including groups which represent older and vulnerable groups.Examples include:

- Customer Representative Forum - which meets quarterly.

- Post Budget briefing to update groups on the key measures announced as part of the social welfare package.

- The Annual Carers' Forum.

Irish Sign Language interpretation

- We provide an Irish Sign Language (ISL) Interpretation service to any customer who may request or need this service..

- Intreo centres are equipped for using Irish Remote Interpreting Service (IRIS). IRIS provides a live video-link to an Irish Sign Language interpreter.

- Remote ISL interpretation service is available which can be used when deaf customers interact by means of a virtual interview.

Citizens Information Board

My Department funds the Citizens Information Board (CIB), which is a statutory agency tasked with providing independent, impartial, confidential, and non-judgemental information, advice, money advice and advocacy in ways that are accessible to all, including older and vulnerable groups

CIB provides information in local Citizens Information Centres and through the Citizens Information website as well as periodicals and publications.

CIB have a designated area on their website citizensinformation.iefor older people and for vulnerable people with disabilities and long-term illnesses.

The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS), also funded by CIB, assisted almost 13,350 new clients in 2021 and over 23,500 clients contacted the MABS Helpline. National Traveller MABS, which is funded by CIB, works to reduce poverty, discrimination, and the financial exclusion of Travellers in Ireland.