A new office premises for my Department's probation and welfare service will be opening shortly at the location referred to by the Deputy at Poppintree Mall, Finglas, Dublin 11. The premises will be assigned to my Department by the Office of Public Works as is normal practice for State sector offices. Permission was granted on 26 July 1994 by Dublin Corporation planning department for a change of use of the premises from recreational use to Government offices to which the public will have access.
The premises will accommodate a team of probation staff — that is, one senior probation and welfare officer and five or six probation and welfare officers — dealing with clients from Finglas and it's environs. It will also provide space for group meetings and activity. Clients of the service will visit the office as required and officers based there will also visit clients in their homes.
The number of clients attending the office will be determined by the numbers placed on supervision to the probation and welfare service by the courts. All clients would not be in attendance at the same time. The frequency of attendance at the offices is determined by the nature of the client's offence and their circumstances.
The establishment of local offices for the probation and welfare service is in keeping with my Department's policy as set down in the policy document, "The Management of Offenders — A Five Year Plan", which was published in June 1994. Similar local offices have been established in other locations in the periphery of Dublin city.
I wish to assure the Deputy that every effort has been made to ensure that this new accommodation will not have any negative impact on local business or the surrounding areas. In fact, probation and welfare service staff have already been in discussion with some local interests to reassure them in this matter.
