Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 October 2013
332. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Social Protection the number and location of social welfare offices currently delivering the full Intreo service; the locations of the expected 43 offices to be delivering the service by the end of 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42356/13]
View answerThe 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 many 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 property project for 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, the OPW have handed over sixteen offices to date and have committed to handing over a further 27 offices by the end of the year. The sixteen offices handed over to date are: Achill, Arklow, Ballymun, Blanchardstown, Buncrana, Clifden, Coolock, Dundalk, Finglas, Killarney, Kings Inn Street (Dublin), Loughrea, Manorhamilton, Newcastlewest, Sligo, and Tallaght. The offices, which subject to the completion of the necessary property works are due to be handed over by the end of the year are Athlone, Ballina, Ballyfermot, Belmullet, Bray, Caherciveen, Carlow, Carrick-on-Shannon, Castlebar, Cavan, Cobh, Drogheda, Dun Laoghaire, Dunfanaghy, Dungloe, Ennis, Kenmare, Kilbarrack, Kilkenny, Limerick, Listowel, Longford, Navan Road (Dublin), Tralee, Tullamore, Waterford and Wexford.
