John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Before I hand over to the witnesses for responses, I will make a few quick comments. I will not repeat any questions that colleagues have raised.

As public representatives, we see at first hand the work done by the Citizens' Information and MABS. Public representatives and both organisations deal with the same people. We see at first hand the positive impact that both organisations have on communities.

I will not go over the same points but I have one or two very specific questions. If the witnesses do not have the answers here, they might forward them to the committee.

My first question is for Ms Mangan, and it comes from her opening statement. As part of the rationale for the decision to change and have a new model, she said there was concern expressed by the delivery services themselves that a considerable amount of staff time was being diverted into administration with a consequent negative impact on the delivery of services to citizens. I have not heard that point reflected in what the people from MABS said. It is a basis for making a decision to change structures, it is a point that has been made, but the evidence to support it has not been presented to the committee today.

Ms Mangan, in terms of the rationale behind making the decision, referred on a number of occasions to letters from the Comptroller and Auditor General in 2014 and 2015. Perhaps she will tell us specifically what is in those letters. Maybe, from the point of view of correspondence after the meeting, those letters might be forwarded to the committee.

There is a divergence of views in terms of finances in the context of the rationalisation programme being done. Ms Mangan seemed to suggest that there were economies to be made and money could be reinvested in additional services. Mr. Clarke was quite specific when he spoke about an additional €1 million a year. I would like that, if the witnesses have figures to back up their cases, and they may not want to present them today, those figures would be circulated to the committee.