Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In reply to a recent parliamentary question on the issue the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection said:

The CIB have assured me that there will be no job losses, no diminution of existing services, no closure of services and no disruption to services. The rationale for the CIB's decision is to improve its governance arrangements in accordance with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies and to meet the requirements of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

An implementation advisory group is overseeing implementation of the new changes and so on. Of course, the Government wants to listen and hear about it if there are issues in the implementation of the new arrangements. That is what the House is for in raising questions to make sure the supports in place for many people who face disadvantage and receive assistance and support through CIS are delivered to the fullest extent possible. However, it is also important to acknowledge that when governance is changed and the structure of decision-making bodies changes, it sometimes creates friction. Our job is to assess whether it is working for the people who rely on the services and those working in them. That is what the Minister will do.

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