On 25th November I asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he would arrange for the setting-up, in consultation with the health and local authorities, of a system of citizens' advice bureaux in all major centres of population. The Minister indicated that he was not convinced of the need for setting-up advice bureaux in relation to the social security service. He maintained that there was an information section in his Department to deal with general inquiries by telephone or letter.
He mentioned that the officer in charge of this section gives public lectures throughout the country to trade unions and voluntary groups. He said that personal callers are dealt with at two public offices in Dublin city, and that officers have been specially assigned to deal with inquiries at some employment exchanges, and information was also available from social welfare officers and local agents of the Department. He said that, in addition, printed information was available. In these circumstances, the Minister said he was not convinced of the need for setting up such a national service.
I raise this matter tonight because it is my experience, in my two-and-a-half years here, that far too great a proportion of a Deputy's time is taken up making inquiries and seeking information on behalf of constituents. Indeed, the role of Deputies and Senators is largely that of messenger boys. I regard this as scandalous. Many Deputies and Senators spend 75 per cent of their time dealing exclusively with enquiries about housing, health, social security, employment and so forth. Our role has been demeaned and abused and the danger is that our real role will become ineffective.
The rights and entitlements of citizens have been successfully made the subject of personal political patronage by those seeking votes in elections or in anticipation of elections. Fianna Fáil Deputies and Fianna Fáil local representatives have been, perhaps, the most assiduous cultivators of this, in my opinion, unhealthy anti-democratic climate. It is a climate that must be dispelled. Every effort must be made to eliminate this unique parliamentary characteristic from our society. One of the ways in which this can be done is by the establishment of citizens' advice bureaux in the major centres of population. The establishment of such bureaux would, I believe, engender in our citizens a greater interest in the public services available for all our citizens, public services which should be the concern of all our citizens. There is no greater threat to democracy than a feeling on the part of the ordinary citizen of bafflement, puzzlement and frustration because of ignorance of the meaning and scope of social and industrial legislation passed by this Oireachtas.
There is a need for properly staffed advice bureaux. Such bureaux could be assisted at local level by voluntary social workers. Today, the State, with an elaborate system of social services in education, health, housing, transport, planning and development, family allowances, pensions and consumer problems, such as hire purchase, impinges deeply on the life of every citizens. In whatever direction one may turn there is some statutory provision or regulation standing in one's way. Advice bureaux could, with advantage, reduce a great deal of frustration arising as a result of these regulations and provisions. First of all, the ordinary citizen could be made aware of the particular rules applying to his case; secondly, he could be made aware of the ways in which the application of a particular rule can be applied in his particular case; thirdly, he could be made aware of the services available for his assistance and how the rules must be applied to help him. All citizens should be made aware of the machinery for reviewing grievances. These bureaux would, I believe, make the work of government more meaningful and better understood by citizens. Citizens would have an opportunity, too, of voicing their criticisms of and suggestions for the improvement of the system.
I believe my proposal is in accordance with the highest aspirations of our society in regard to caring for the individual. Society is inevitably growing more and more bureaucratic and more concerned with the care of the community. It would be an important advance in social thinking and in political development if such bureaux were established. At present a great deal of laudable voluntary social work is being done by voluntary groups. These groups could play an important part in advice bureaux, an invaluable and an expanding role, and public servants and others would find their work greatly assisted. Such bureaux would be a major local co-ordinator and would develop a much more rational approach to social services of all kinds. Duplication and waste would be avoided. Ever since World War II such a system has operated in Britain. There are over 500 bureaux available at local level to British nationals which are staffed by trained professional people. There are at least 20 such bureaux currently operating in the North of Ireland which are providing an essential social service. Such bureaux should be set up in every major centre of population in the Republic.
During the course of my duties as a TD I am obliged, and I regard it as honour, to provide information and personal assistance to constituents. People do not always come because they are in a quandary about what social welfare benefits they are entitled to. They come very often in order to obtain comfort because of loneliness or personal social inadequacies. Voluntary workers could assist such people and find some form of community activity in which they could engage themselves.
In the growing consumer-orientated society in which we live such bureaux could provide an effective consumer service at local level. To take just one, hire purchase, this causes many problems to newly-married couples and old people. The value of such a public service is unquestionable.
When one looks at the documents and leaflets produced, including those produced by voluntary organisations such as the leaflets published by the Dún Laoghaire Junior Chamber of Commerce on Entitlements for Elderly Persons, one realises that such a service is necessary. It is not good enough to say that if people have inquiries they can ring up the Department. I know our telephone system has improved greatly and I know a great deal of information is available by telephone. I know too that people can go to employment exchanges and speak to local social welfare officers. In that way the majority of the staff of the Department of Social Welfare give help and assistance to citizens, but it is not good enough.
If such bureaux were set up in major urban centres of population people could find out about the services available in the Department of Health, the Department of Education, the Department of Social Welfare, the Department of Labour, the various local authorities and the many other Government Departments to which citizens have to go from time to time in order to find out their rights and their entitlements. If such bureaux were set up TDs would be able to spend more time as legislators, inventors of social reform and public watchdogs than they do at present because a good deal of our time is spent giving advice and assistance to citizens. At present we seem to spend a great deal of time writing letters, filling in forms and giving information to citizens, all of which is laudable, but it is not something we are employed to do as public representatives. I would ask, therefore, that such bureaux be established and if they are a failure at least we will have given them a say.
