asked the Minister for Social Welfare her policy regarding the display of information posters by voluntary groups or agencies concerned with social welfare recipients at employment exchanges and social welfare offices.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Information Posters.
1.
My Department have a wide range of information booklets, leaflets and posters giving detailed information about their services and these are available in employment exchanges and information centres. Requests by voluntary groups or agencies to display posters would be carefully considered to ensure that the posters are accurate and of direct relevance to the members of the public visiting those offices. There are also, of course, physical constraints on the number and size of posters that can be displayed in any office.
Subject to these considerations, any request by a voluntary agency to display posters in my Department's offices is considered on its merits.
Could the Minister indicate whether departmental officials in Dublin make the decision in relation to posters being erected in labour and employment exchanges or can the local manager make a decision in regard to these matters?
I understand that a decision is made in the central office in Dublin. Very few requests are received for such displays and I understand that over the last 12 months only three such requests were made.
Could the Minister indicate what decision was made in relation to the three requests to which she referred? I understand that the Galway Welfare Rights Group made such a request and, if they are not among the three she mentioned, could she indicate when a decision will be made in relation to their request?
My information is that one of the posters related to a request by Senator Brendan Ryan to print and display posters prepared by the Simon Community. I understand this request was refused because the posters were inaccurate in some respects. Apparently, a similar request to display the same posters was made to the employment exchange in Galway and was refused for the same reason. The other request came from the Dublin Welfare Rights Group who were holding a welfare rights week last March. They asked for permission to display their posters in offices in the Dublin area and permission was granted in this case as the poster simply contained information about events taking place during the welfare rights week.