asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware of the advantages which would accrue to recipients of social welfare benefits if his Department should be decentralised on a county basis and all applications for benefit and assistance were decided locally; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Departmental Decentralisation.
29.
I am not aware of any advantages which would accrue to recipients of social welfare benefits if my Department should be decentralised on a county basis. To a large extent there is decentralisation in the matter of benefit payments as, with the main exception of disability and occupational injury benefits, social welfare payments are already paid locally—at local employment offices in the case of unemployment benefit and assistance and at post offices in the case of all pensions. Disability and occupational injury cheques are delivered by post to the beneficiaries' addresses because these claimants are ill and in the main it would not be feasible for them to attend at local offices for payment. Decentralisation of payment in the case of these benefits would not therefore be of any advantage to the claimants.
Many applications for social welfare payments are already decided locally, but it is clear that further decentralisation of decisions on claims would not result in any advantage to applicants, in so far as the expedition of decisions is concerned, because of the necessity for reference to headquarters for verification of insurance records, and so forth.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware of the hardship and worry caused by delays of even a few days, never mind a few months, in deciding applications for benefits and assistance? Is he also aware of the urgent need to reorganise the social welfare payments system and make it more accessible? Is he further aware that the only way to achieve these aims would be to decentralise the Department on a county basis?
I agree that delays in paying these benefits can cause considerable hardship. In fairness I must say that the number of delays in relation to the number of payments made are relatively small. Even so, that does not take away from the fact that in some cases the delays can cause very considerable hardship. I have been concerned about this for some time. We are trying to ensure that as little delay as possible will take place. I have gone into the question of decentralisation and on close examination I have found it is not the best way of trying to deal with it. Indeed it could result in further delays. A considerable amount of capital expenditure would have to be put into the matter of dealing with the very large volumes of correspondence, applications and so on, which the Department deal with. I can assure the Deputy that it is an area I am particularly concerned about.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary say exactly what steps the Department are taking to eliminate delays and what they are doing about getting quicker decisions?
The Deputy is introducing new matter.
We have computerised certain sections of the Department and we hope that this policy will be developed more extensively. This would result in more efficient handling of claims.
Make sure the computer is not of the same quality as that in the Department of Education.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that when these matters were dealt with locally, before they were altered by his predecessor, the former Deputy Kevin Boland, we had a much more satisfactory situation with regard to the finalising of claims? It was not until such time as Mr. Boland centralised the payments of these social welfare benefits that the delays occurred.
Has the Parliamentary Secretary said that on examination he has decided the Department of Social Welfare would not be suitable for decentralisation?
There is a difference between what I said and what the Deputy has imputed to me. I said the payment of benefits at local level would not lend itself to decentralisation—that decentralisation would not be suited at that level.
The British Ministry at Newcastle-on-Tyne functions very proficiently.
I wish they would operate more efficiently in giving us decisions on EEC pension qualifications. I have great difficulty with them.