Welfare office staff face death threats

Death threats, knife attacks, physical assaults, verbal abuse, and attacks on security staff and members of the public are just some of the dangers Social Protection staff as well as dole claimants are facing in welfare offices.

In one incident, an employee in the Carrick-on-Shannon offices in Leitrim was sent a bullet in the post. In another, a member of the public had their neck slashed at a welfare office in Tallaght. Separately, a security guard was assaulted at the Kings Inn welfare offices in Dublin.

The Irish Examiner has obtained details of attacks and threats, mainly on staff, in the last two years at welfare offices.

Some of the most serious attacks took place in the Navan Road offices in Tallaght.

Social Protection Minister Joan Burton recently said staff had been put under “serious threat” and at times “were taking their life in their hands” doing their job.

There were 120 serious incidents at offices in 2012 and 74 last year. Incidents logged by staff show the extent of attacks and abuse:

- A child was assaulted during a melee at offices in Longford, which involved armed individuals. Armed gardaí responded;

- Two claimants abused a worker and threatened to petrol bomb an office on the Navan Rd;

- In Listowel, Co Kerry, gardaí were called after a man threatened to get a gallon of petrol and burn down the building;

- In Laytown, Co Meath, a female worker had a fire extinguisher discharged at her head;

- In Bantry, Co Cork, gardaí were called after a claimant threatened to shoot an employee;

- One client claimed she was sexually assaulted at a welfare office in Tallaght.

In other incidents, clients produced knives at hatches or threw chairs at glass screens. Glass hatches have been smashed and staff spat at. Knives have been produced and staff have been assaulted or threatened in several centres.

Welfare inspectors visiting dole claimants’ homes and on inspection trips have also been attacked.

In many cases, gardaí were called in or received reports of incidents logged by staff.

Ms Burton’s department said there was no legislation on how violent behaviour in welfare centres was handled. Payments to claimants involved in incidents only ceases when their circumstances change.

Ongoing assessments are made on staff safety, officials said. Specific training was provided for staff, many offices had panic buttons, and CCTV and security guards were present in some.

The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed said the number of incidents was relatively low considering the hundreds of thousands of people going in and out of the centres.

Head of policy Brid O’Brien also pointed out that staff were sometimes rude or clients were given inaccurate information.

“Staff need to be trained more,” said Ms O’Brien. “Some incidents can be avoided. It needs to be a comfortable place to go for services but also a comfortable place to go to work.”

A number of incidents resulted in arrests and fines.

An unemployed Dublin builder was last week fined €100 by the courts for hurling abuse at welfare staff over a delay processing his dole.

One union revealed that special arrangements were made for “criminal types”, where they did not need come to centres and sign on, with cases were instead dealt with by post.