Portarlington Social Welfare Office

hard rain

The queue outside Portarlington Social Welfare Office stretched down past the Post Office on Tuesday in the rain. Why is the town so silent on this humiliating treatment of the unemployed? The office is the size of a phone box and people from other towns also have to attend here. There should be a public outcry about this disgraceful facility. What do you think?

acrowle

Have to agree with you there, as one of those who had to stand in the queue, there are times when you can feel very self conscious. There should be an effort to rehouse/relocate Social Welfare into another location in the town.:rolleyes:

Scan Man

The Port Laoise office is the same, I've heard a lot of people complaining about the "stigma" of having to stand outside and wait to collect their dole. Some of the councillors were giving out about it not too long ago but as usual nothing has ever come of it.

Considering the staggering amount of retail space available in the town, I'm surprised that people aren't more vocal about it. It would probably be cheaper to the Department to rent a large retail unit than the current rent they're paying to the person who owns the current office there (he also works in it as well).

elvis jones

hard rain wrote: »

The queue outside Portarlington Social Welfare Office stretched down past the Post Office on Tuesday in the rain. Why is the town so silent on this humiliating treatment of the unemployed? The office is the size of a phone box and people from other towns also have to attend here. There should be a public outcry about this disgraceful facility. What do you think?

While i agree with you, how can a new building be justified if as a government you say you can't afford to pay the staff ???

Perhaps redirect funds from the new liabary as you mentioned on another thread. BUT those funds are allocated to a local authority and not the specific dept mentioned so not a hope of that.

As i said if you get the funds and you don't spend it you lose it, awful system really.

elvis jones

Scan Man wrote: »

The Port Laoise office is the same, I've heard a lot of people complaining about the "stigma" of having to stand outside and wait to collect their dole. Some of the councillors were giving out about it not too long ago but as usual nothing has ever come of it.

Considering the staggering amount of retail space available in the town, I'm surprised that people aren't more vocal about it. It would probably be cheaper to the Department to rent a large retail unit than the current rent they're paying to the person who owns the current office there (he also works in it as well).

Runs it, its a private operation. He has a contract from the Dept and its up to him where he works out of..........

hard rain

It's not even suitable for wheelchair access so it does not comply with regulations for Govt offices. Even if you got a wheelchair inside the counter is out of reach.

Augmerson

Lads...lads, ah come on.

Your making sense here.

That's a language our Government doesn't understand.

sydthebeat

Avon is sitting up there all idle with car parking, canteen facilities etc....

im sure the owners would only be glad to rent some rooms on a short term basis!!!

elvis jones

sydthebeat wrote: »

Avon is sitting up there all idle with car parking, canteen facilities etc....

im sure the owners would only be glad to rent some rooms on a short term basis!!!

But why would you want to leave your own building empty to go and rent another one

sydthebeat

elvis jones wrote: »

But why would you want to leave your own building empty to go and rent another one

eh, because, as this whole threads argues, the existing premises is wholly inappropriate...!!!

as i see it the 'owner' is not behoven to alter his service to match demand.

As with many many other public service contracts there doesnt seem to be any 'performance' measurement.... :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

elvis jones

I don't disagree that its not right, but its building and he is running a business as well so thats why i'm saying why should he move ??

I'm just looking at it from a different angle ( not that i agree with the angle )

RayM

I can't say I'm too bothered about the "stigma" of queuing to sign-on (even when the local intelligentsia drive past in their souped-up Honda Civics, shouting "Get a f***in' job" etc). But the queue seems to be getting longer and longer every month. A couple of weeks ago, I arrived twenty minutes before the office opened, and the queue was already as far as the post office. If they don't have the facilities to allow people to do their monthly signing-on without getting drenched, then surely it would be more humane (and efficient) to allow people to just post their signatures to the office instead.

It's also really odd that people from Mountmellick have to sign on in Portarlington, regardless of the fact that there are no public transport links between the two towns.

Having said all that, I must add that I've always found the staff there to be remarkably helpful and pleasant.

Augmerson

RayM wrote: »

It's also really odd that people from Mountmellick have to sign on in Portarlington, regardless of the fact that there are no public transport links between the two towns.

Having said all that, I must add that I've always found the staff there to be remarkably helpful and pleasant.

That's a bit desperate, having to travel to Portarlington to sign on if your in Mountmellick. It's not a huge distance but if you had no car and were reliant on public transport I don't know how you would do it. Does a bus go between Port and Mountmellick?

sydthebeat

elvis jones wrote: »

I don't disagree that its not right, but its building and he is running a business as well so thats why i'm saying why should he move ??

I'm just looking at it from a different angle ( not that i agree with the angle )

I understand your viewpoint.

However, i have a major issue with someone who is under contract to do a job yet there appears to be no link between the quality of this service and the demand, or between the quality of the premises and the occupancy demand.

car manufacturers are able to demand their retailers to upgrade their showrooms to reflect the quality of the cars.... why cant the government demand the service provider to provide a premises more conducive to the occupancy demand?? (i suppose thats a rhetorical question!!)

darkmark79

Well said Syd, the size of the office is way too small for the number of people having to use it. I know from experience on days when i cant get a babysitter for my 3 that having to queue up with kids in tow in the pissing rain is really rubbing salt into an already sore wound!:mad:

sydthebeat

darkmark79 wrote: »

Well said Syd, the size of the office is way too small for the number of people having to use it. I know from experience on days when i cant get a babysitter for my 3 that having to queue up with kids in tow in the pissing rain is really rubbing salt into an already sore wound!:mad:

its something that should not have to happen darkmark!!

as much as it pains me to say it but, get on to Ray Cribben, Paul Mitchell even John Maloney.

RayM

Augmerson wrote: »

Does a bus go between Port and Mountmellick?

I'm pretty sure that the only way to get from Mountmellick to Portarlington on public transport is to get a bus to Portlaoise first (and there aren't many of them), and then the train to Port. I've often seen people getting out of taxis and joining the queue, while the taxi waits around the corner for them (presumably with the metre running...)

hard rain

I was not suggesting that the current owner of the Social Welfare Office provide a more suitable premises. Why can't the Dept continue with the current lease, if it can't be broken, to accommodate some of those signing on and also rent a separate location with a new lease or rent agreement e.g. Community Centre, Avon, Laois 3rd Level Centre etc.
It would also reduce the size of the queue considerably if Mountmellick and Monasterevin had their own facility. It's not too difficult to resolve - the will isn't there. Where are the protests from M'mellick, banging on Moloneys door? and M'evin? We are too bloody quiet in this country. Nobody should tolerate this state abuse.

darkmark79

hard rain wrote: »

I was not suggesting that the current owner of the Social Welfare Office provide a more suitable premises. Why can't the Dept continue with the current lease, if it can't be broken, to accommodate some of those signing on and also rent a separate location with a new lease or rent agreement e.g. Community Centre, Avon, Laois 3rd Level Centre etc.
It would also reduce the size of the queue considerably if Mountmellick and Monasterevin had their own facility. It's not too difficult to resolve - the will isn't there. Where are the protests from M'mellick, banging on Moloneys door? and M'evin? We are too bloody quiet in this country. Nobody should tolerate this state abuse.

The French and Greeks have the right idea,get out on the streets and have your voice heard...but we need every man woman and child affected by this governments inaction to take a stand and be heard.

acrowle

Why don't they just utilise the post office, we have to go and 'sign' for our money on a weekly basis anyway and then the Social Welfare Office could be used for their other work, would take the pressure off the office and make use of the Post Office system all over the country, which would enable the PO to keep them open instead of shutting them down.....

ponka

never mind relocating, why not just rent the community centre for a couple of hours on signing day so people can be in out of the rain and the cold, have somewhere to sit and not be humiliated more than they already are, also, why cant this be repeated in other towns like mountmellick, monasterevin etc, it would resolve the problem of people having to travel distances to sign, too obvious for our government, the government employees get travel allowances, why cant we if we have to travel, or they could supplement the cost of private coach hire,

irelandspurs

Why don't they just spread the signing days over the week

Minxie123

irelandspurs wrote: »

Why don't they just spread the signing days over the week

Yeah, I've never understood that. I was in on a Thursday and there was no-one in the place. Would make much more sense.

kmart6

darkmark79 wrote: »

The French and Greeks have the right idea,get out on the streets and have your voice heard...but we need every man woman and child affected by this governments inaction to take a stand and be heard.

Yes, cause that will solve all the problems!

stacey_girl

I Have had my claim cut off so many times due to the fact that I can't get from Monasterevin to Poprtarlington as there is no public transport, am I supposed to walk all the way there and back, it is well for those who can afford taxis, I have 2 children and am 4 months pregnant, why can't they move our singning office to Newbridge, where there is actually public transport

elvis jones

There is a train link ?

one at 9am and 11am

but only one going back at 4Pm which isn't much help really.

hard rain

Following the protests outside the office over the past number of weeks I hear that they are going to open the office two days each week for those signing on to get rid of the queues. Hope it works.