Vol. 463 No. 1
41 Mr. Clohessy asked the Minister for Health the number of community welfare officers in Ireland who are using their cars in order to pay people supplementary welfare allowance; the health board and location of each officer; and the proposals, if any, being made for providing adequate office accommodation for supplementary welfare allowance recipients to receive payment. [3987/96]
Limerick East): There are four community welfare officers issuing payments to supplementary welfare allowance recipients from their cars.
The locations are in the Southern Health Board areas as follows: 1, Myrtleville and Fountainstown; 2, Desertserges, Newcestown, Crossbarry and Kilumney; 3, Coolea and Kilnamartyra; and 4. Dungourney.
In the case of Myrtleville and Fountainstown areas, such method of payment will cease with effect from Monday, 1 April 1996.
All recipients in these areas have been given an alternative service, i.e. they have been offered a postal payment with built-in controls or they have been offered a service at Crosshaven Health Centre.
In the case of Desertserges. Newcestown, Crossbarry and Kilumney, it is planned to discontinue the service from 1 May 1996. Clients are currently being offered a choice of alternative arrangements, e.g. postal payment or transferring payments to an alternative site with facilities.
In the case of Coolea and Kilnamartyra, alternative arrangements are currently being considered.
In the case of Dungourney, there are no immediate plans to alter the current arrangements. The community welfare officer has the use of an office in the school in Dungourney during school term and only uses his car during school holidays when the school is closed. The numbers attending are very small.
