Vol. 455 No. 4
58 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Health the workload of community welfare officers and superintendent community welfare officers in the Eastern Health Board; the staffing numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12232/95]
Limerick East): Community welfare officers and superintendent community welfare officers in the Eastern Health Board are mainly engaged in the administration of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. This scheme is administered by the health boards on an agency basis on behalf of the Department of Social Welfare.
The staffing complement in the Eastern Health Board is as follows: SCWOs, 19; CWOs 181.
It is difficult to measure the workload of community welfare officers and superintendent community welfare officers. Statistics are available which measure the quantity of the caseload i.e. cases paid. Other workload factors are not measurable through these statistics e.g. cases refused, cases referred elsewhere, cases who sought information and advice.
In 1994, the caseload was as follows: Cases paid, 87,465; Payments made, 684,241; Weekly average, 13,158.
This issue is currently being addressed within the Eastern Health Board: a joint union-management working party will start work on 5 July 1995 and is scheduled to report by 31 October 1995.
