asked the Minister for the Public Service if he has as yet considered improving the welfare service within the Civil Service for the staff; if so, the improvements which have been implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Civil Service Welfare Service.
24.
At the outset I would like to refer to my predecessor's answer on 12 December 1985 to a similar question tabled by the Deputy. At that stage, the position was that the staff welfare service was under discussion with the staff side in the context of the Government's commitment to the expansion of the service as outlined in paragraph 7.11 of the White Paper "Serving the Country Better". Since then the Government has decided to provide a comprehensive welfare service for the Civil Service and has committed additional staff resources for this purpose. Discussions are taking place at present with the staff associations. I expect to be in a position to make a statement in the near future giving full details of the scope and extent of the new service when negotiations with staff side have been concluded.