Written Answers. - Office Opening Hours.
Richard Bruton
Ceist:
217
Mr. R. Bruton
asked the
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry
whether public offices serving the public under the auspices of his Department are open through lunch; if not, the length of time they are closed during lunch time; and his views on whether lunch time would be the most convenient time to call for many members of the public.
My Department's head office in Dublin is open during lunch time both for telephone and personal callers. The Cavan head office closes during lunchtime between 12.45 p.m. and 2 p.m.
From Monday 14 February 1994, my Department's local offices, the special beef premium unit and the Castlebar office have been open to the public between the hours of 9.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. Previously the local offices were open to the public between 10 a.m. and 12.30 p.m., and 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. The special beef premium unit and the Castlebar office were previously open between the hours of 9.15 a.m. and 12.45 p.m., and 2 p.m. and 5.30 p.m.
These arrangements were made specifically to facilitate final processing of the 1993 headage and premium schemes and to expedite payments of grants under the schemes. The position is being kept under review and I expect that the offices will return to normal opening hours when satisfactory progress has been made.
Details in relation to public offices of State Bodies under the aegis of my Department are as follows:
Teagasc: Some of the smaller offices cannot provide a lunchtime service and are therefore closed between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Larger offices remain open.
An Bord Glas closes from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
The Dublin and Cork District Milk Boards have public offices which are closed during lunch-time between 12.45 p.m. and 1.45 p.m. from Monday and Thursday and between 12.45 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Fridays.
Coras Beostoic Feola has an answer phone service operating between 1 and 2 p.m. In addition staff rostering ensures that at least one member of staff is available to deal with lunch time visitors.
As far as I am aware there have been no formal requests from representative bodies or individuals to re-arrange the official lunch time periods. It should be noted however that in most offices, letters or messages are received during lunch time.
