I appreciate being allowed to raise this question on the Adjournment. I have no objection to the Minister of State, Deputy Allen, taking this question on behalf of his colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry whom I believe is outside doing a launch to which, perhaps, he should also have invited the Opposition spokesperson.
The question of access to the offices of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry at Cranmore in Sligo has been of major concern to the farming community in Sligo and Leitrim for the past few years. The offices are situated on the fourth floor of a building which has a lift which is not available for use by the public. Members of the public most go to the fourth floor to receive service from relevant officials, and to do this they must climb between 50 and 60 steps. This is not acceptable. The fact that when this building was designed it was meant for use by the public shows grave lack of planning when interview facilities were not provided on the ground floor.
Interview conditions within the office itself are terrible with business being discussed in an open room where people can hear everybody else's business and it is hard for officials and the public to give proper consideration to the problems raised. For old people the problems are very serious. Nobody should expect the aged or disabled to climb 59 steps to an office.
I ask the Minister to make accommodation on the ground floor available to facilitate interviews by officials or, failing that, to provide a designated lift which would facilitate people who want to go to the fourth floor and provide proper interview accommodation there. I am aware that the Minister is committed to providing better service to the public and has made this one of his major planks with regard to reform of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. Here is an opportunity to take positive action. The need for proper accommodation with privacy for the officials and the people who use the office is urgent and of paramount importance. The staff who work under the present conditions deserve the highest praise for doing their utmost on all occasions to facilitate people. Where necessary they have come down to interview physically disabled people in the hallway.
We would like to see such problem alleviated and I appeal to the Ministe of State, who will reply on behalf of the Minister, to ask him to take immediate action to provide proper facilities and access for everybody who has to use the services of the Department at Cranmore.
