Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 July 2013
291. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Social Protection the position with regard to the national roll-out of Intreo offices; if she is satisfied with the progress the Office of Public Works is making on the programme; and if she will provide the general schedule for the roll-out covering 2013 and 2014. [32949/13]
View answerThe 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 introduction of a profiling process to capture the unique characteristics and service requirements of each jobseeker.
iii. The implementation of a systematic group activation engagement and one to one process based on clients’ profiles.
iv. The delivery of a ‘one-stop-shop’ service from an integrated office location.
Elements (i) to (iii) are being rolled out, are already in place in most offices and will be in place in all offices by the end of the year.
The delivery of over 60 One-Stop-Shop Intreo Offices is a major logistical property project for the Department and the Office of Public Works which is responsible for the provision of the Department’s property requirements, including refurbishment and fit out works. The Intreo Project requires the acquisition and development of some new properties and the re-modelling and refurbishment of others. All of this also entails the re-accomodation of staff including the transfer and set-up of IT, furniture and other utilities across multiple locations.
Notwithstanding the complexity of such a large property programme, twelve offices are now providing the full Intreo service. Preparations are underway in other offices and it is expected that a total of 43 offices will be delivering the full Intreo service by the end of 2013. A joint OPW/DSP Intreo Implementation Team meets every two weeks to drive the programme forward. Progress is reported to and monitored by the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Pathways to Work, chaired by the Taoiseach, every month. While I would like to see roll-out completed more quickly, I am satisfied that the project is being managed effectively and that the roll-out will be completed on target by the end of next year.
