Social Welfare office closure results in lengthening queues

The Social Welfare Local Office in the city has been closed on the last three Thursdays, causing significant queues for welfare recipients over the past month.

The office in Hynes Buildings, Galway was closed to the public for the past three Thursdays to facilitate what the Department of Social Protection has called “staff training and familiarisation, and office re-organisation”.

“This is in preparation for the introduction of an improved processing system for Jobseekers and One Parent Family claims as part of the new Intreo service and will provide a more efficient service to social welfare customers,” a spokesperson for the Department told the Galway City Tribune.

“This enhancement of service delivery is taking place as part of the Department’s commitments under the Pathways to Work programme.”

Lengthy queues have been an ongoing feature of the office as a result of losing a day.

The spokesperson said there was no connection between the closures and the processing of Back to Education claims which was continuing.

It emerged this month that rural social welfare clinics around the country will close. As a result recipients will be forced to travel to the city, likely to lead to longer queues.