Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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932. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reasons the community welfare officer service was removed from her Department's office in Ardee, County Louth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17646/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The walk in Community Welfare Service in Ardee moved to an appointment service in late 2018. A Community Welfare Officer (CWO) is available to meet with citizens from Ardee during business hours Monday to Friday in Intreo Centres in the nearby towns of Drogheda and Dundalk, or by appointment in the Ardee Social Welfare Branch Office. There is also the option for a customer to request a meeting at a mutually agreed location, including at their home.

While local face-to-face engagement with clients continues to be a cornerstone of the community welfare service, it is important to mention that a person does not need to meet with a CWO to make an application and any person who needs to access the Community Welfare Service (CWS) can call the National CWS freephone number at 0818 60 70 80, to make an appointment or to speak directly to a CWO. CWS staff working on the phoneline are dealing with over 5,000 callers per week.  This service is proving very popular with customers in rural areas, who can have their needs met without the requirement to travel.

The CWS continues to provide a flexible service to meet the different needs of customers, who may find themselves in a financially difficult or vulnerable situation.  It is important that this service is easily accessible and responsive to people's needs. 

A person can apply for a Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) payment by completing a SWA1 form which is available in all Intreo Centres and Branch Offices.  It can also be requested by calling 0818 60 70 80 and by using the Request Application Form page available on www.gov.ie. A completed application form together with any supporting documentation can be returned directly to the Department where the claim will be processed quickly. In addition in recent weeks my Department has added the facility to mywelfare.ie for customers to apply online for an Additional Needs Payment (ANP). 

I trust this clarifies the matter.