Written Answers. - One Stop Shops.
Trevor Sargent
Question:
8
Mr. Sargent
asked the
Minister for Social Welfare
when he proposes to introduce the one stop shop, as referred to in the Programme for a Partnership Government 1993-1997 to replace the present employment exchanges, or dole offices as they are known and the way in which he proposes to do so.
The one-stop-shop concept is a service providing customers with ready local access to the full range of social welfare services. During my years as Minister for Social Welfare I have taken steps whenever I could to advance this development.
I have initiated a series of changes forming the basis for one-stop-shops. This series of changes is fully supported by the Programme for a Partnership Government. My objective is a modern, co-ordinated, well-administered service at local level evolving into a comprehensive local service.
A vital prerequisite for this comprehensive service is an office improvement programme. Significant investment has been made in improving social welfare premises over the past few years and very good new local offices are coming on stream. I will be opening a new office in Kilkenny in a few weeks time. Other new offices are under construction and future developments are under consideration. These offices address the needs of both customers and staff and will facilitate the changes I have in mind. Many of the new offices are located in Government office complexes. In these a broad range of State services, including training and job placement, are very conveniently situated beside each other.
One of my main priorities as Minister for Social Welfare is to introduce a pro-active, work supportive programme providing a range of opportunities for unemployed people. In this regard I would like to inform Deputies that I have received the go ahead from the Government for a major new initiative which will help identify local opportunities and new outlets for unemployed people who want to improve their skills, avail of options to participate in their community's activities and gain work experience. I propose to appoint a jobs facilitator in each of my Department's main offices (50). The jobs facilitator will be charged with the responsibility of seeking out new options for unemployed people through voluntary organisations which provide services for people with disabilities and need assistance with their work; community enterprise and local development projects, particularly those promoting our indigenous resources and local enterprise business projects which can provide practical experience for people.
Another important feature to which I am giving emphasis is the question of accessibility for the physically challenged. I have appointed officers in each region who will give attention to this.
There is already close co-operation between my Department and FÁS and I will be ensuring that this develops further. Computer display units giving details of FÁS placement opportunities are in a number of my Department's offices on a pilot basis. This summer I am launching a jobs opportunity scheme for third-level students using the regional structure I established in 1991. This scheme will provide financial support for sponsors in the public and voluntary sectors who give work to third-level students during the summer.
My Department already operates modern computer technology. Further development and extension of this technology is critical to the development of the Department's one-stop-shop services. All the large local offices, with one exception, are computerised. This means that over 60 per cent of unemployed cases are now managed using new systems. Computers also support all pension, child benefit and disability benefit claim processing. Recently, I set the end of 1994 as the target for completion of the remaining offices. New computer facilities coming on stream next year will include, for the first time, facilities supporting supplementary welfare allowance payments. This will allow both the Department and the health boards to provide a more co-ordinated service.
My Department is changing the service for unemployed people and is introducing a variety of new ways of paying entitlements. This major change includes a special development programme in An Post offering customers pay-methods best suited to their situation. Unemployed people are now paid by way of cheques, electronic fund transfers, books of pension-type orders and postal drafts. These changes enable less frequent signing for unemployment payments, e.g. fortnightly, monthly or at other intervals. Automated facilities in post offices also provide a household budget option allowing customers to pay certain bills directly.
The significance of the new payment arrangements is that the local offices can now evolve more rapidly to the one-stop-shop model offering a full range of services. Some offices already have in-house interview facilities for customers so that many claims can be processed on-the-spot.
It is worth mentioning that in parallel with the service changes, I am also improving the control systems to ensure that the schemes are not abused. The provision of an enhanced localised service requires a matching improvement in the capability and capacity to prevent abuse and to detect fraud.
