Michael McDowell
Ceist:79 Mr. M. McDowell asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of persons who availed of the money advice and budgeting service to date; and the plans, if any, he has for further expansion of this service. [18596/96]
Written Answers. - Money Advice and Budgeting Service.
Statistical information supplied by some 40 MABS (money advice and budgeting service) projects being funded by my Department, indicates that the number of persons who availed of the service to date is in the region of 6,000. An additional £750,000 has been made available in the 1996 budget towards the expansion of MABS bringing the total allocation for 1996 to just under £2 million.
In keeping with my commitment to provide a full national coverage by the MABS service, I am pleased to be able to state that with the exception of County Donegal, and parts of Dublin which will be operational early in the New year, this target is now essentially met. It is my intention, of course, to continue to expand the service in areas of particular need, as and when they are identified.
In providing the service, an important element of the approach is the targeting of families who have been identified as having particular problems with debt and moneylending. Local projects are established on a partnership basis, with the involvement of all relevant statutory, voluntory and community interests. The Credit Union movement plays a key part in the successful operation of the service and in opening up alternative sources of credit for people with particular debt problems. New projects are funded on a provisional basis for an initial period of one year. After the satisfactory completion of one year's operations, 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 they set out the programme of work they will undertake, and the objectives they hope to achieve in the three-year period. It is important to emphasise that while my Department provides the funding for the running costs of the projects, the service is independent and confidential.