Liam Kavanagh
Ceist:9 Mr. Kavanagh asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will outline the programme of refurbishment of his Department's offices in 1990; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Social Welfare Offices Conditions.
Séamus Pattison
Ceist:10 Mr. Pattison asked the Minister for Social Welfare the extent to which his Department's offices conform to the best standards of insulation, ventilation, heating and lighting and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Séamus Pattison
Ceist:20 Mr. Pattison asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of cases that have been taken against him under the Office Premises Act in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Tomás MacGiolla
Ceist:30 Tomás Mac Giolla asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the inconvenience and discomfort caused to many unemployed by the poor conditions of employment exchanges, and particularly by the lack of privacy when conducting their business; the steps he intends to take to improve the conditions of employment exchanges and to provide acceptable minimum levels of comfort and privacy; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Gay Mitchell
Ceist:40 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is satisfied with the condition of employment exchanges; and the plans he has for their upgrading.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 10, 20, 30 and 40 together.
In reply to a question on 26 January 1989 about accommodation in my Department's local offices I made it clear that many of the older offices were not designed for the numbers now attending. I outlined the Department's building programme to provide new offices and to improve existing ones and I indicated my determination to continue with this programme to ensure that all of the Department's local offices will measure up to a high standard in the quality of facilities available for the public and staff alike. I am glad to be able to report that considerable further progress has been made since then with the opening of a further three new offices and the extensive refurbishment of four others. This brings to 13 the number of new offices which have been opened and to nine the number extensively refurbished in recent years.
This progressive approach has not been confined to local offices. Last year, under the Government's decentralisation programme, a new pensions office to accommodate 300 of the Department's staff was opened in Sligo. This building is of a very high standard and conforms to all modern requirements.
With regard to 1990, the major project on hands is the provision of a new decentralised office in Letterkenny, County Donegal, to house some 190 of the Department's staff. The new office is expected to be ready for occupation in the autumn. Self-contained accommodation is also being provided in D'Olier House for the Social Welfare Appeals Office, which is being set up as a separate executive office of the Department. The necessary preparatory architectural work has been completed by the Office of Public Works and the new offices are expected to be available in a few months' time. In addition, a major refurbishment scheme for my Department's headquarters at Aras Mhic Dhiarmada, Dublin, has just commenced.
In relation to local offices, work is in progress on the construction of three new offices at Cork, Limerick and in Dublin at Ballyfermot. These offices will be ready for occupation during the course of this year. In addition, I expect that work will commence later this year on the construction of three new offices at Tallaght and Finglas in Dublin and in Ennis, County Clare. Detailed planning for a new office at Navan Road, Dublin, will be completed this year to enable construction to start as early as possible in 1991. Already this year major alterations have been carried out at my Department's offices at Tralee, County Kerry and Letterkenny, County Donegal, while a scheme to refurbish the office at North Cumberland Street, Dublin, is currently in progress. It is expected that major alterations will commence during the year at a further four offices at Cavan, Mullingar, Longford and Athlone. In all, my Department and the Office of Public Works will spend some £4.2 million this year on the various building and renovation projects at the Department's local offices. New offices are being planned for a number of other areas but commencement of construction is subject to the availability of the necessary resources.
All new and refurbished offices are being designed to take advantage of modern technology and particular attention is being paid to the provision of facilities for privacy at new claims reception areas and at points where interviews with applicants are conducted. In addition, the position at existing offices where no major work is, at present, planned is being reviewed to see what immediate improvements in privacy facilities can be made.
Everything possible is being done within available resources to ensure that the standards of accommodation in my Department's offices, including insulation, ventilation, heating and lighting, are of a high standard. In that respect, no cases have been taken against me or my Department under the Office Premises Act in the last five years or indeed at any time. Improvements are still needed in some offices but the object of the programme I have outlined above is to address these problems as quickly as resources will allow. I wish to repeat my determination to continue this programme of improvement in office accommodation in order to ensure that all offices of my Department measure up to the high standards which are necessary for staff and public alike.
We wish the Minister well in projects which have started and recognise any advances in this area. I refer specifically to Question No. 30 tabled by Deputy Mac Giolla. I do not know why employment exchanges are called by that name since they are used only by unemployed people and there are certainly no jobs to be found by going there and signing on. Are there any architects in the Minister's Department who could plan a soft, more humane type of environment for people in receipt of unemployment benefit or assistance? It seems there is a policy, whether malicious or not, on the part of central Government and the Department of Social Welfare to create a division between the staff and the institution ministering to people who are unfortunate enough to be in need of benefit. Will the Minister deliberately devise a scheme to make these places more congenial so that people will feel less alienated and downgraded? I refer to such things as soft furnishings, lighting, painting on the walls and other architectural effects.
I would recommend the Deputy to see some of the new offices such as those at Newbridge or Kilbarrack, although his party protested at the opening of the latter office and got publicity in the cheapest possible way. These are very fine new offices which relieve pressure on the central Dublin offices. Work has been going on in Kilkenny, Arklow, Apollo House in Dublin, Ballymun, Newcastle West, Clondalkin, Sligo, Limerick, Galway, Rathfarnham, Buncrana, Newbridge and Kilbarrack. The Deputy should look at any of those offices. I know the Deputy will never get his friends in RTE to accompany him because when we open a new office with brand new facilities affording privacy to those attending RTE will not come along. Perhaps the Deputy would use his influence.
I know Werburgh Street and Thomas Street are in need of refurbishment.
These are the things we are doing in new offices and when refurbishing other offices. Incidentally, I do not call these offices employment exchanges any longer; I call them social welfare service offices. That is what we are transforming them into because we see then as providing the range of social welfare services for the future.