Vol. 513 No. 2
42 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will set up a network of one stop shops in cities and provincial towns where people can consult with officials from his Department to determine their entitlements. [2018/00]
The network of social welfare local offices currently provides trained information officers at 57 locations throughout the country. Arrangements are in hand to extend information facilities at a further 70 social welfare branch offices to include all schemes as soon as preparatory work is complete. In addition social welfare inspectors in over 50 locations provide a call-in service for inquiries on at least one day per week. In addition to these facilities provided directly by my Department, Comhairle, formerly the National Social Services Board, funded by my Department also provides an extensive network of citizen information centres providing a full range of information on citizens' entitlements in the social services area.
My Department is developing more easily accessible client centred services in the context of the Strategic Management and Delivering Better Government initiatives. The new service delivery model outlined in my Department's Strategy Statement 1998-2001 will further improve service delivery. For example, it will: make it easier for people to conduct business by telephone; reduce the amount of information people must give when making a claim; and streamline procedures where people move from one scheme to another.
I have also initiated moves to improve customers' access to public services across agencies. The REACH initiative, which I announced last September, will facilitate the development of integrated services across the public sector by promoting greater sharing of information among public bodies, the deployment of a common public service card and the use of the latest technologies to provide access to services for the citizen.
