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Employment Support Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 June 2013

Tuesday, 11 June 2013

Questions (439)

Jim Daly

Question:

439. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a schedule for the roll-out of Intreo offices across west Cork in view of the fact that employment service clinics only operate for five hours per month in towns such as Dunmanway, Bandon and Kinsale; if she will confirm the locations of these offices and the areas they will cover; if these offices will report operations directly to her Department or will this function be contracted out in areas where no main departmental office is located; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27459/13]

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Written answers

The Pathways to Work document states that the introduction of the new Intreo service is a multi-annual project with all Department local offices upgraded to full Intreo offices by the end of 2014.

The delivery of the Intreo service comprises a number of elements. The main elements being:

(i) the integration of the various welfare decision making processes to speed up decision making and minimise recourse to supplementary welfare payments;

(ii) the implementation of a systematic activation process based on profiling of clients; and

(iii) the delivery of a ‘one-stop-shop’ service from an integrated office location.

The first ten Intreo offices, with all elements in place, went live in 2012. These first ten offices were Sligo, Arklow, Tallaght, Kings Inns, Ballymun, Buncrana, Coolock, Dundalk, Finglas and Killarney.

A further two Intreo offices have now opened in Newcastlewest and Blanchardstown. It is intended to have the full service available from a total of approximately 40 offices this year and to complete the full roll-out of all service elements to all 63 offices of the Department in 2014. As part of this process it is intended to complete the roll-out of elements (i) and (ii) above to all offices during 2013. Element (iii) requires infrastructural works in many office locations and therefore has a longer timeline.

Currently activation clinics are held twice a week in Bantry, twice a month in Bandon, Clonakilty, Kinsale, Dunmanway and Skibbereen and once a month in Castletownbere. Group engagement sessions for unemployed customers in west Cork are provided once a month in Bantry with subsequent one to one guidance interviews at which unemployed clients identify and agree individual progression plans with a DSP Activation Case Officer. Group engagement will be further rolled out in west Cork in the autumn.

Group talks are also held, when required, normally twice monthly, with unemployed customers who are interested in self-employment, to advise them of the supports available. Again there are follow up one to one meetings with these customers.

The delivery of activation services in west Cork are kept under review to determine the options available with existing resources to deliver the optimum service to the Department’s customers in that area.

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