Vol. 518 No. 4
213 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will consider an application for a franchise of a social welfare office in Kildare town in view of the fact the closure of the office is causing problems at the local post office as people have to queue on the street in seeking their payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11910/00]
The manager of the Department's branch office in Kildare retired recently. In the normal course, when a branch manager retires the question arises as to the nature of the replacement service that will be required to meet the needs of the people living in the area. If it is decided to continue to have a branch office in the area, the branch office contract, which is in effect a franchise to provide services on behalf of the Department, would be re-let to the new appointee on the same basis as currently applies. Alternatively, the processing of claims could be taken into the parent local office and the branch office replaced by a service provided directly by Department staff geared to local needs.
A decision in relation to Kildare will be made shortly. In the meantime, persons who are registered as unemployed at the branch office are being dealt with from the Newbridge social welfare local office. There is no question of any change in the system of payments to unemployed people because their payments are made at post offices and not at the branch office or local office concerned. The issue raised by the Deputy in relation to people having to queue for payments will be raised with An Post who will be asked to reply directly to the Deputy in the matter.
