Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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508. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will confirm that refurbishment works at the INTREO centre, Navan Road, Dublin 7 have commenced; if so, when the works are due to be completed; the schedule of works; and the expected date on which the service will be reopened to the general public. [51394/22]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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531. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her Department has entered into an agreement regarding the lease or rental of the Intreo office, Navan Road, Dublin 1 to An Garda Síochána. [51878/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 508 and 531 together.

Significant maintenance and upgrade work to the Intreo Centre on the Navan Road in Cabra, Dublin 7, had been scheduled for 2022.   Staff were transferred to other Intreo Centres for the duration of the work, with arrangements made for customers to be served in the nearby Parnell Street Intreo Centre.

The Office of Public Works (OPW), which owns the building, has now advised that an urgent situation has arisen where there is a requirement to source emergency accommodation for critical units of An Garda Síochána (AGS) in North Dublin at short notice. This requirement necessitates the sourcing of a building that is  immediately available and can meet the operational requirements of AGS.  

Given the urgency of the situation, the property on the Navan Road has been identified by OPW as the only one that would meet the State’s urgent requirement in the short/medium term and would represent optimum use of the property.  My Department has not entered into an agreement with AGS regarding the lease or rental of the building, as the building is owned by the OPW.

This will not represent any deterioration in customer service. Since temporary closure in April 2022, people living in the Dublin 7 area who need to attend an Intreo Centre have been visiting the Parnell Street Intreo Centre.  There is also a freephone telephone number and the dedicated email addresses for Navan Road services relating to jobseeker’s payments, one-parent family payments, Public Services Cards, community welfare services and activation remain active.  

The quickest and easiest way for a person to apply for income supports is online at www.mywelfare.ie.