Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 June 2017
1983. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Social Protection the provision in the Comhairle Act 2000 or the Citizens Information Act 2007 which empowers the board of the Citizens Information Board to unilaterally alter the local board structure of independently run citizens information centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26640/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body responsible for providing information, advice (including money and budgeting advice service) and advocacy services on a wide range of public and social services. CIB delivers on this remit through a network of delivery partners which includes 51 local Money Advice and Budgeting Services (MABS) and 42 local Citizens Information Services (CIS). In 2017, CIB is set to receive State funding of €54 million, of which €15 million is allocated to CIS services, and €24 million is allocated to the network of MABS services.
The Board of CIB, as a statutory body, has the right to make decisions on its day to day operational activities as it sees fit. The powers and functions of the Board are set out in Sections 6 and 7 of the Comhairle Act, 2000 and as amended by section 4 of the Citizens Information Act 2007.
Section 8 of the Comhairle Act, 2000, requires that the Board of CIB submits its three year Strategic Plan to the Minister for Social Protection and once approved, the Plan is laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas. Successive CIB Strategic Plans have been working towards the goal of joined up citizen centred services and the need to change structures and processes to enable more efficient use of resources, which are entirely publically funded. The current Strategic Plan 2015- 2018 is designed to ensure CIB and its delivery partner services meet the needs of citizens over the three year period in the most organisationally and economically effective way.
The Plan details six priority areas, one of which is to revise the structures of CISs and MABS to better serve the citizen by improving management structures and governance, management of resources and the delivery of consistent high quality services; this includes aligning CIB structures accordingly to maximise effective use of resources.
In January 2016, CIB’s Strategic Plan 2015-2018 was approved by the Minister and noted by Government. The decision taken by the Board of CIB on the 15th February 2017 to move from a governance structure of 93 individual local companies to a new sixteen company regional board model is entirely in keeping with CIB’s Strategic Plan, as approved by the Minister, noted by Government, and laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
