Written Answers. - Development of MABS Projects.
Eric J. Byrne
Question:
113
Mr. E. Byrne
asked the
Minister for Social Welfare
the proposals, if any, he has for the development of the money advice and budgeting service, MABS, projects; if contracts exist for all existing projects; if he has concluded a contract with the South Inner City Community Development Association to cover the next three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6354/95]
At present my Department is funding 25 local money advice and budgeting service projects throughout the country. An additional £500,000 has been made available in the 1995 budget towards the expansion of this service. As I have already announced, I am committed to making this service available throughout the State within two years.
New projects are established on the basis of being given funding for a period of one year initially. After one year's successful operation, projects can be offered a three year funding commitment, which involves signing a formal contract with the Department of Social Welfare. The contract includes a three year work plan prepared by the management committee of the project in which it sets out the work it will undertake and what it hopes to achieve in the three year period. Such contracts have been signed with a number of projects set up in 1992 and 1993 and my Department is awaiting draft workplans in the remaining cases. It is expected that these will be received and contracts can be signed before too long in those cases.
My Department has received an application from the South Inner City Community Development Association SICCDA, for funding of a separate money advice project in the Liberties area. Since 1993, this area is one of four, the others being Blanchardstown, Crumlin and Rialto, covered by a project which operates under the auspices of the National Social Services Board and is funded by my Department. This NSSB project is managed by a committee that brings together a range of relevant community groups and statutory agencies and is based on the citizens information centres in the four areas involved. Following a review of this project and in light of the demand for money advice locally, it was agreed by all concerned that autonomous local projects should emerge in some or all of the areas concerned.
In the case of the Liberties, my Department is working with local voluntary and statutory organisations with a view to establishing a new project to continue and expand the existing money advice and budgeting service in the area as soon as possible. Discussions are ongoing and there have been a number of meetings with SICCDA and other interested parties in that regard. I would hope that these discussions can be completed soon. In these discussions, my Department has stressed the importance of the principle of partnership in the management of projects. I regard it as essential that local MABS projects bring together all relevant bodies, statutory and voluntary, which are both represented on the management committee and act as a referral network to the MABS project. Projects are run by a management committee, representative of all the above, which forms itself as a company limited by guarantee. The service provided must be seen as an independent service by the citizen and must have the full support and participation of all relevant local bodies, voluntary and statutory, for it to be effective in meeting the needs of people in difficulty with moneylending and overindebtedness. In the case of the south inner city area, for example, relevant community partners in the new project would include, as well as SICCDA, the Fountain Resource Centre and the Connolly Centre for the Unemployed.
