Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 October 2022
511. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a copy of the comprehensive review undertaken in 2021 of all services and activities delivered by her Department’s network of local offices. [51401/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra512. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide all recommendations relating to the Intreo service from the comprehensive review undertaken in 2021 of all services and activities delivered by her Department’s network of local offices. [51402/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 511 and 512 together.
As is the case with any large customer service organisation my Department is constantly reviewing and refining its operational procedures and management structures. As part of this ongoing process in 2021 my Department made some changes to management reporting lines as well as how it organised the processing of Intreo centre claims so as to take account of remote working/blended working developments and to ensure that staff workloads could be balanced.
The review did not involve any changes to Intreo centre locations or services available to the public at Intreo centres. As is normal practice these changes were discussed with staff unions and have been in place since January 2022.
These changes also reflect and facilitate the changed working environment post Covid-19 – in particular the move to remote/blended working.
Ongoing regular reviews of internal structure and processes are normal in any operational environment. These routine operational reviews do not involve any change to customer benefits or entitlement but represent normal business process change and refinement. Therefore it is not the practice to publish, nor is it intended to publish, any report on the changes.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
