Proinsias De Rossa
Question:42 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the plans, if any, he has for the future of social welfare branch offices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2551/98]
Written Answers. - Departmental Offices.
My Department has a network of offices throughout the country, 57 of which are local offices staffed by Department staff and 71 of which are branch offices operated on a contract basis by independent operators on contract with the Department. These offices take claims for unemployment payments and carry out certain other tasks in connection with such claims under the direction and control of the relevant Departmental local office.
Since the end of the 1980s my Department has been engaged in a programme of fundamental change in the way it delivers its services to the public. As a result of this programme of change the departmentally staffed local offices now provide a wider range of services to customers including more modern systems of payment. It is my intention that the improved level of service currently being availed of by customers of departmentally staffed local offices will also be made available to customers of branch offices. Officials from my Department are currently in discussion with the Branch Managers' Association, in relation to the future role of the branch office network and with a view to upgrading and modernising the level of service which those offices provide. The contractual arrangements under which branch managers currently operate will be revised in the context of these discussions.