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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 30 Jun 1988

Vol. 382 No. 11

Written Answers. - Departmental Offices Understaffing.

40.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to a report (details supplied) that understaffing in some Civil Service offices might lead to delays in paying unemployment assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I have seen the report referred to by the Deputy in his question. The Deputy is no doubt aware of the constraints imposed on staffing levels in the public service by the necessity to deal with the imbalance in the public finances. Until this imbalance has been rectified there will be a continuing need for restraint.

My Department, like all other Government Departments, must operate within the overall constraints of Government policy. This said, however, the need to maintain staffing levels at employment exchanges is recognised and redundant staff from other Departments have been redeployed to those offices.

The work of employment exchanges has heretofore been a mainly clerically based operation. For some time now, however, the computerisation of the work of those offices has been proceeding and when completed, will alter radically the functioning of the offices. The use of modern technology will not only enable a better service to be provided for applicants but will also allow for a greater input from staff in the development of those services.

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