Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 January 2015
53. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to enable front-line staff to triage applications for benefit related schemes made by the public, ensuring applicants do not spend months waiting on a decision for a scheme for which they should not have made application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3183/15]
View answerOver the last number of years, the Department has developed a new integrated income support, employment and support service called ‘Intreo’, and has been transforming its nationwide network of Local Offices into ‘Intreo Centres’.
The Intreo Centre is a one-stop shop for all income and employment support services where customers can access job-seeking advice, information on vacancies and income support services all in the one place. Utilising an integrated reception area, the Intreo Centre provides information and access to income supports, including jobseekers' payments, back to work and back to education payments, one-parent family payments and community welfare services. In effect, this is the ‘triage’ service to which the Deputy refers.
Across the nationwide network of Intreo Centres and remaining Social Welfare Local Offices, staff continue to be available to provide information, to explain the Department’s schemes and services and, generally, to provide assistance to customers in order to enable them to access their full entitlements.
Information services in my Department are also complimented by over 200 Citizens Information Centres countrywide who also offer a drop in service, where customers can receive information and advice and help with the completion of application forms.
The Departments website www.welfare.ie has also been redesigned to incorporate information on the full range of services and customers can access information on all schemes and services.
