Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 April 2018
590. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of new contracts for social welfare office branch managers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18038/18]
View answerThe Department currently has 58 Branch Offices at various locations throughout the country. Each Branch Office is operated and managed, under a contract for services, by a Branch Manager who is required to act as an agent for the Department in the area served by the office. Branch Office managers operate on a contract for service and are independent contractors.
Services are provided through the Branch Offices network in areas which are not directly served by a Department operated Intreo centre. The Department wishes to ensure that the services provided by the Department’s Intreo Centres and Branch Offices are aligned so that all customers nationwide are provided with broadly similar services.
On foot of this, officials from my Department engaged in discussions with the Branch Managers Association (BMA), a representative group of Branch Managers who presented the views of its members under the chairmanship of an agreed facilitator regarding the Department’s proposals for a new service delivery model.
Talks between the Department and the BMA concluded on 29th March. Non-binding recommendations were issued by the facilitator to both parties on 4th April and I am happy to report that both sides have agreed to accept these recommendations.
These recommendations, together with previous recommendations from the facilitator in December 2017 on the revised remuneration model, provide a framework within which Branch Office services will be delivered on behalf of the Department by Branch Managers.
It considered that the new service delivery model for Branch Offices can be achieved under the current contract arrangements with Branch Managers and that there is therefore no requirement to conclude new contracts with existing branch managers.
Letters to each individual Branch Manager are currently being drafted by my officials outlining the proposed remuneration and service delivery proposals and will be issued shortly.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
