Vol. 397 No. 7
21 Mr. Taylor asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of persons employed in social welfare offices directly employed in signing on duties; the number of Garda man hours involved in such duties in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
My Department have a network of 130 offices throughout the country at which claimants sign the unemployed register. Fifty-one of these offices are staffed by a total of 1,400 officials. The other 79 offices are operated by branch managers who are employed under a contract for service, and there are some 300 staff in these offices. These staff are engaged in the full range of duties concerned with the operation and control of unemployment payments, such as accepting processing and deciding claims, making payments, and providing other essential services: Signing on is just one aspect of this range of duties.
My colleague, the Minister for Justice, has been advised by the Garda Authorities that some 1,800 man hours per week are taken up in the certification by the Garda of Social Welfare claims in rural areas and that a further 100 hours are involved in travel by gardaí to outlying signing centes to certify such claims. In most cases members who are engaged in certification duty at a Garda station would also be engaged in station duties as well.
My Department is currently examining the signing and certification process with a view towards a relaxation of weekly signing in appropriate categories.
