Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 February 2022
101. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if the community welfare service has seen a reorganisation; if so, the reason for same; if she will provide the details of the new structures by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6930/22]
View answerThe Deputy can be assured that I am focused on the delivery of crucial community welfare services to meet the challenges and the needs of customers across the country and this remains a priority for me and my Department. I am fully committed to developing and enhancing access to the Community Welfare Service nationwide, and to ensuring that the service is responsive to customer needs, particularly in a time of crisis or emergency.
It is important that the Community Welfare Service remains a flexible service to meet the varied needs of vulnerable customers. The continued availability of locally based Community Welfare Officers is a key feature of the service. For this reason, consultations can be arranged via phone, at our Intreo Centres and Social Welfare Branch Offices which are open five days per week or, indeed, a direct home visit depending on the customer’s need and public health restrictions.
Furthermore, customers no longer have to meet in person with a Community Welfare Officer (CWO) to make a claim and access to Community Welfare Services is not limited to a face-to-face meeting with a CWO.
To help our customers and support our CWOs where possible, the preparatory work on customer applications, for example the gathering of supporting documentation that is necessary to assess and finalise a claim, will be carried out by a back office team. However, the assessment and decision on claims and any further customer interactions or engagements with other agencies is then carried out by locally based Community Welfare Officers as it always has been. There are no changes to the structure of the service by County.
It is vital that the Community Welfare Service is easily accessible and responsive to customer needs and developing and enhancing access to the Service remains my priority.
