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Dáil Éireann - Volume 303 - 02 February, 1978 Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Social Welfare Complaints. Dr. O'Connell Dr. O'Connell 15. Dr. O'Connell asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of written complaints his Department have received about the operation of the social welfare system in the last year to the latest available date. Mr. Haughey Mr. Haughey Mr. Haughey: Records are not kept in such a way as to enable the information sought by the Deputy to be given. Dr. O'Connell Dr. O'Connell Dr. O'Connell: Do I take it, when complaints come to the Department of Social Welfare, they are assigned to the wastepaper basket? Mr. Haughey Mr. Haughey Mr. Haughey: Oh, no. Dr. O'Connell Dr. O'Connell Dr. O'Connell: The reply suggests that. It should be possible to have a record of complaints received. If the Department does not have a record the only conclusion I can come to—and indeed that to which the public and the House can come to—is that they are assigned to the wastepaper basket. Mr. Haughey Mr. Haughey Mr. Haughey: No, they are dealt with, replied to. Mr. Boland Mr. Boland 564 [564] Mr. Boland: Slowly. Dr. O'Connell Dr. O'Connell Dr. O'Connell: Would the Minister agree it might be a good idea to know the number of complaints received by his Department? Mr. Haughey Mr. Haughey Mr. Haughey: As the Deputy knows, in a Department like the Department of Social Welfare, complaints of this type are an everyday occurrence, are dealt with as far as possible and replies issued to them. I do not know if enumeration of the number of these complaints would be of any particular value. The important thing is to try to deal with them, give satisfaction, and make sure that any genuine causes for complaints are eliminated. Dr. O'Connell Dr. O'Connell Dr. O'Connell: Yes, but surely the Minister would agree that unless his Department have some indication of the number of complaints, they will not be in a position to remedy them all. Dealing with complaints on an individual basis is not necessarily the best answer whereas one may resolve a lot of the problems in the Department of Social Welfare by having information as to the type of complaint most frequently received. I would hope that the Minister would consider it in that light. Mr. Haughey Mr. Haughey Mr. Haughey: As a matter of fact I saw some figures which would indicate that there are 10,000 communications per week to the Department. Some of those would be more in the nature of enquiries rather than complaints. Dr. O'Connell Dr. O'Connell Dr. O'Connell: I am asking only about complaints. Mr. Haughey Mr. Haughey Mr. Haughey: I know but, as a rule, it is very difficult to distinguish between them. In this connection I have asked for correspondence over a period to be analysed to see what is the nature of the most persistent complaints. Dr. O'Connell Dr. O'Connell Dr. O'Connell: That is it. Mr. Haughey Mr. Haughey Mr. Haughey: That will be a help to us. The correspondence is very voluminous, plus the telephone calls. Dáil Éireann 303 Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. Social Welfare Complaints. Questions 19780202
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