asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he proposes to instal a computer in the new social welfare office for women at Mungret Street, Limerick City.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Installation of Computer.
9.
The office at Mungret Street is an employment exchange for women. It was opened in September to ease accommodation difficulties until a new purpose-built office can be opened in Dominick Street in Limerick.
I have already made arrangements to have two visual display units installed in the Mungret Street office. It is expected that they will be operational before Christmas. These VDUs will be in addition to four already installed in the employment exchange in Cecil Street and ten others being used by social welfare officers and community welfare officers at other locations in the city.
The present facilities are mainly used for inquiry purposes and the VDUs are linked to the computers in Dublin. Additional computer functions will be provided at Limerick in due course.
With regard to the question of locating a separate computer in Limerick, my Department are developing a telecommunications network to provide a speedy, efficient and consistent service at all their offices. The one-stop shop project is based on the use of computer systems. The main computers are located in Dublin and it is not envisaged that this arrangement will change in any major way.
At a number of locations outside Dublin, local or regional computers will be installed on the network. The locations will be dictated by technical requirements. Limerick could, eventually, have a local computer on the network. However, as the ultimate shape of the network has not yet been finalised no decision has been taken on this matter.
The new purpose-built employment exchange will have the necessary accommodation for the computer facilities required for the full range of services. Work on a major project to computerise unemployment claims has already resulted in facilities being installed in all Dublin Employment exchanges. The system is now being extended outside Dublin as rapidly as resources permit.