Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 7 Mar 2002

Vol. 550 No. 2

Written Answers. - Departmental Services.

Richard Bruton

Question:

440 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his views on whether there is scope for developing an integrated advisory source for persons who are recently widowed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8252/02]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern):

My Department places great importance on reducing the hardship and financial worries which sudden loss of income by bereavement can cause. In addition to the widow's-widower's contributory and non-contributory pension schemes, a bereavement grant, a widowed parent grant, and after death payments are also available.

Information about these and other matters is available from my Department's extensive network of 58 local offices and 68 branch offices throughout the country. A full-time information officer is available for sensitive discussions in most local offices. My Department publishes a range of information leaflets, including benefits for widows and widowers, and these are available from post offices as well as from the Department's offices. We also maintain a website www.welfare.ie where up-to-date information on all social welfare issues is available and where email enquiries can be processed.

Comhairle, funded by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, is the national support agency responsible for the provision of independent information, advice and advocacy to members of the public who use social services. Comhairle maintains a network of 85 citizen information centres throughout the country and provides a fully comprehensive and inte grated information dissemination service. Comhairle also publishes a wide range of books and leaflets and these include information for people who are widowed.

Furthermore, Comhairle maintains the Oasis website, www.oasis.gov.ie which provides a full range of information on social welfare entitlements, as well as details on a range of related issues. The information available on the Oasis website is specifically designed to address particular life cycle events such as bereavement.

In addition, the Government has initiated the REACH project. This is a cross-departmental unit established to provide a more integrated public service to customers from the various public service agencies. When completed, REACH will offer a common access point for citizens and a single delivery point for agencies. Essentially, it will be a customer centred one-stop-shop for all state services.

The Revenue Commissioners have informed me that Revenue staff receive extensive customer training and fully appreciate the sensitivities of dealing with taxpayers who are recently bereaved. The Revenue website, www.revenue.ie, gives details of the taxation implications of various life cycle events, one of which is bereavement.

My Department has continuously sought ways to enhance our delivery of services to our customers. We realise that the information needs of the public, including those recently widowed, must be met simply and efficiently. We are also aware that the information needs of our customers are continuously evolving and changing. To this end we will continue to meet these needs as efficiently and comprehensively as possible.