Vol. 423 No. 5
113 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give details of the itinerary of officials from his Department who visited Irish centres in London recently; the centres visited and numbers of people interviewed; and if it is intended that they should visit other centres in the United Kingdom.
Staff from the Information Service of the Department of Social Welfare visited a number of Irish centres in London on 6, 7 and 8 October. The centres visited were the Brent Irish Cultural Centre, the Irish Support and Advice Centre, Hammersmith and the London Irish Centre in Camden Square. Approximately 1,000 queries were dealt with in total.
Officials from the Department's Information Service were able to provide information on a first-hand basis to those interested in their entitlements. Those inquiring included persons considering coming or returning to Ireland to live or to look for work.
The visit was a first step in providing information to those considering returning to Ireland. It was made as a result of a request from the Brent Irish Advisory Service (BIAS). The numbers of inquiries greatly exceeded expectations. A number of people who were unable to attend in person phoned or wrote to the centres and this included callers ringing from as far away as Wales, Brimingham and Manchester. This indicates a widespread interest in the service provided and the question of further visits to London and/or other parts of the UK is being considered.
