Micheál Carrigy (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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499. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will reconsider the reinstatement of the community welfare officer service in Ballymahon, County Longford, given the significant aging population in the area and the lack of accessibility for residents who now struggle to engage with the service remotely; if he will consider providing an in-person service at the local dispensary for two afternoons per week, utilising an existing underused facility at no additional cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13513/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The delivery of crucial and locally based community welfare services to meet the challenges and the needs of people across the country is a priority for me and for my Department. The Community Welfare Service (CWS) continues to provide a flexible service to meet the different needs of people, who may find themselves in a financially difficult or vulnerable situation. It is important that this service is easily accessible and responsive to our client’s needs.

CWOs are physically on site daily in over 50 Intreo Centres across the country where they are available to be seen without an appointment, during business hours, Monday to Friday. In addition to meeting people in Intreo Centres and DSP offices, CWOs can facilitate an appointment within a short time of a person requiring such a meeting, at a mutually agreed location, including at the person's home or indeed where facilities are in place, at their local Social Welfare Branch Office. These arrangements ensure people who need a service have comprehensive options for accessing the service in person.

A Community Welfare Officer (CWO) is available to meet with clients, living in the Ballymahon, Co Longford area during business hours Monday to Friday in the Longford Intreo Centre, Government Buildings, Ballinalee Road, Longford, N39 E4E0, or also in the Intreo Centres in the nearby towns of Athlone or Mullingar. Where a person requires a home visit, this will also be facilitated. While local face-to-face engagement with people 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 CWS can call the National CWS freephone number at 0818 60 70 80, to make an appointment or to speak directly to a CWO.

A person can speak with a CWO over the phone if they do not wish to travel to meet with a CWO in person. There is a high uptake of this service which allows people to have their needs met without the requirement to travel.Where it is clear that a person has an urgent or immediate need, every effort is made to ensure that the claim is processed on the same day. CWOs are very experienced and can generally assess when a case is so urgent that it requires an immediate response. They have the facility to issue a same-day cheque payments to people and approximately 19% of people who present to CWOs in person each week receive a manual cheque payment on the day that they attend.I trust this clarifies the matter.