Vol. 451 No. 1
2 Mr. J. Walsh asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will implement the recommendations and related reforms in the management of the social welfare service highlighted in the latest National Economic and Social Forum report; and, if so, when he will implement the recommendations. [6256/95]
24 Mr. D. Ahern asked the Minister for Social Welfare when he will establish an integrated delivery system for social welfare applicants one-stop shops as highlighted in the recent National Economic and Social Forum report. [6124/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 24 together. The Government has welcomed the National's Forum's sixth report, Quality Delivery of Social Services. The report focuses on improving the quality of delivery of a variety of social services. In particular the report focuses on services in the areas of social welfare, health, housing, and on services provided by FÁS and by An POST on an agency basis for my Department. The report is particularly welcome at this time when the Government is pursuing a radical programme of legislative and administrative reform to ensure that the interests of the citizen are paramount in the development of our public services.
The Government has referred the report to the Minister for Finance for examination by the Minister of State at his Department to assess the implications of the various recommendations with a view to formulating a co-ordinated response. My Department will play a full part in this process.
On the specific recommendations of the forum it is worth nothing that my Department has made significant strides in a number of areas, through a process of modernisation and improvements over the past number of years and, indeed, this has been acknowledged in the NESF report.
The Strategic Management Initiative presents an opportunity to build on these developments. Central to this initiative is the improvement in the delivery of services with the aim of ensuring value for money, high standards of service, efficiency, courtesy and accountability.
A better and more caring service for people is the key feature of my Department's action programmes. The objective is to foster a customer-service culture. A strong programme of action over the next few years to build on the progress made to date will include the following: transforming social welfare offices into local one-stop-shops where people can access all the information and services they need; expanding new payment facilities; a concerted drive to simplify social welfare supports, access to them, and information about them; improved access to services through upgrading public offices, better sign-posting and more privacy facilities; better information about entitlements in individual circumstances, the means of redress if dissatisfied and the right of appeal; greater involvement and participation for people in matters concerning the delivery of the services. Customer service advisory groups are being set up to get regular customer feedback about services.
The efficiency and effectiveness of the services for people will be measured and the best practices in financial management will be introduced.
Local access to the full range of social services is an important objective of my Department's action programme. A continuing programme of investment in accommodation is resulting in an ever growing number of modern offices. My Department is in the process of modernising its computer systems in its local offices, to support a wider range of information facilities for people. This is a programme that will go on throughout the rest of this year.
We will continue to build on these changes and to enhance the employment support services and facilities for the community and voluntary sectors at local level. Every opportunity is being taken to co-operate with both statutory and other agencies operating in complementary welfare fields.
In summary, my aim is for an efficient, professional and responsive system that will serve the needs of all those who come in contact with the social welfare system.
I welcome the Minister's commitment to implementing the main recommendations of this report. While acknowledging that some considerable improvements have been made in social welfare in recent years, it is still a humiliating experience for recipients who have to go into a dingy office, call to a hatch and have no great privacy. The least that is needed in all offices is a confidential consulting room and a reduction in the degree of bureaucracy as these people in many cases are the least well off not only financially but educationally. Only 20 per cent of people sign on a weekly basis for unemployment benefit or assistance.
