asked the Minister for Social Welfare when he proposes to introduce a system of citizens' advice bureaux in the major centres of population.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Citizens' Advice Bureaux.
37.
The question of setting up citizens' advice bureaux is under active consideration in my Department.
Why is it under the Department of Social Welfare and not the Department of Health?
It is a point but, speaking for myself, I am not quite certain as to whether or not it would be entirely a matter for the Department of Social Welfare because, as far as I can see, in the majority of cases Deputies are the advice bureau. If it were to be left entirely to the Department of Social Welfare it would mean in one case I know of that 60 or 70 per cent of the queries coming into the advice bureau would be housing queries, particularly in the city of Dublin. I think the Deputy himself recognises in his clinic that he has a variety of problems ranging over all Departments.
And legal.
And legal, and medical, and sometimes religious.
In the light of that could the Minister explain what he means by active consideration?
The consideration of any new scheme is always one done in consultation with other Departments.
Is anyone studying it in the Minister's Department?
Yes.
Is it being considered?
It is being considered, yes.
The Minister has now established in his Department a special telephone service devoted to answering queries about social welfare matters.
That is so. As a result particularly of the proposals in the budget the information department has been given additional and extra telephones in order that the public will know what their entitlements are under the recent changes or, indeed, on any aspect of social welfare.
Why did the Minister not spell it out in time? Why wait three or four months?
Deputy Cunningham asks why this information was not given before now. I said that as soon as the regulations are made all the relevant information will be made public.
But the Minister appointed extra staff to answer questions addressed to his Department.
The staff were added to specifically to ensure that those who would come into social welfare and social assistance would know what their entitlements are and I may tell the Deputy it is working very, very successfully.
It was a criticism of the Department that there was not this information.
Would the Minister be prepared to agree that, rather than establishing some vague thing known as an advice bureau, the way to proceed in this particular area is for the Department of Social Welfare to have its own information service available to the public on as comprehensive and detailed a scale of assistance as possible—in other words, to extend the telephone service he has inaugurated?
I am afraid there are a great many of my constituents who could not afford to pay for telephone calls.