Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 November 2015
44. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to locate a social protection office in the Lucan area of County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38554/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of the plan for the roll-out of Intreo Centres, the Lucan/Adamstown and Clondalkin areas were originally designated by the Department for the provision of Intreo services in Dublin Mid-West. The Office of Public Works has been exploring options in both Lucan and Adamstown for an Intreo Centre over the past three years, but given the limited choice of suitably sized and located offices, this process has failed to identify any suitable sites or buildings for the provision of an Intreo service.
Clients from Adamstown/Lucan currently sign on in the Clondalkin Intreo Centre. Customers also travel to Clondalkin for community welfare services; however, the introduction of an email/postal/phone service minimises the need for customers to travel to Clondalkin. A call out/home visit service also is available for customers who are unable to travel. Similar arrangements have been put in place in respect of the Departments’s Inspectorate.
In light of the difficulty in identifying a suitable site/building and in light of the completion earlier in the year of the Clondalkin Intreo Centre, which included an extension into the adjoining and former Motor Tax Office, the need for a new office in the Lucan – Adamstown area was re-examined. The Department now believes that the scale of the operation in Clondalkin is capable of serving the population catchment of the Lucan-Adamstown area. The Department has no plans for an Intreo Centre in Lucan-Adamstown at the present time but the service will be monitored on an on-going basis to ensure that any negative impact on customers is minimised.
