Conor Lenihan
Question:275 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of people who contact his Department; and the issues most commonly cited for a representation by a member of the public. [24438/99]
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Inquiries.
Conor Lenihan
Question:276 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of people who ring or contact his Department directly on an annual basis regarding their social welfare entitlements. [24439/99]
Conor Lenihan
Question:277 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the level of funding he gives to organisations which assist people in accessing their social welfare entitlements. [24440/99]
Conor Lenihan
Question:278 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of information officers employed by his Department to assist the public in knowing their entitlements. [24441/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 275 to 278, inclusive, together.
My Department provides information on all aspects of social welfare in a variety of ways. Inquiries relating to specific social welfare schemes received in writing, by telephone or from personal callers may be handled at local level or by the relevant offices or sections responsible for administering the particular services in question. Information is also available from each of the Department's 57 local offices and 69 branch offices throughout the country. There are also two public offices in Dublin.
In the main scheme areas and in local offices, staff are assigned by local management to meet local demand and it is therefore not possible to give a precise count of the total staff members engaged solely in information duties at any time.
Statistics relating to the number of inquiries are not maintained on a Department-wide basis. It is estimated that more than 200,000 operator-assisted telephone calls are received each month but this does not include calls to local offices, inspectors or where the caller uses a direct number provided in connection with a specific application or published in reference to particular schemes. Many other information initiatives are taken every year for example, in the period immediately after the annual budget, between two and three thousand calls are received via a special central freephone service.
An analysis of calls show that they span the full range of social welfare services. Issues of primary concern to callers include matters relating to sickness payments, pensions, one parent family payments and employment support programmes.
The National Social Service Board, an agency under the aegis of my Department, has received increased funding in recent years, including additional amounts towards the cost of developing 35 key centres within it's network of more than 80 citizens information centres throughout the country and the development of a comprehensive computerised information database to support almost 400 information providers. The total allocation for 1999 was £4,375,000. Legislation is now at an advanced stage for the establishment of a new body, to be known as Comhairle, which is being formed through a merger of the NSSB and certain functions of the National Rehabilitation Board. This new mainstream body will support improved information, advice and advocacy services for all people including those with disabilities.
In addition, about £465,000 was directly provided in 1998 by my Department to assist other organisations engaged in the provision of information and advice on social services.