Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 November 2021
378. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons waiting for an appointment for a public services card, in tabular form; and the expected waiting time before they will receive an appointment. [55576/21]
View answerThe SAFE registration process, which involves the authentication of a person's identity in a face-to-face interview, results in the issuing of a Public Services Card (PSC), which can be used as proof of identity when accessing public services. At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, my Department temporarily suspended the SAFE registration process and the centralised online appointment system used to manage those interviews. This decision was taken in order to comply with HSE and World Health Organisation guidelines in respect of social distancing thus ensuring a reduced footfall in our offices, to protect the health and wellbeing of our customers and staff. SAFE registrations resumed in May this year and my Department carries out an average of 1,000 PSC appointments each day, across its nationwide office network.
My Department's capacity to accommodate these interviews is lower than was the case pre-pandemic, due to the social distancing measures that are applied to protect customers and staff.
For that reason, the centralised online appointments system has not yet been resumed and requests for appointments are dealt with at a local level across the Department's network of offices. As a result, it is not currently possible to provide the data requested by the Deputy.
Urgent requests for a PSC appointment are dealt with on a local basis, however, and any person who requires a PSC should contact their local DSP office, where an appointment will be made for them at the earliest opportunity.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
