Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for their contributions. All Deputies recognise the vital service that MABS provides to people at the most vulnerable times in their lives, right across the State. Every Member has engaged with the service at some stage, representing our constituents.

The Bill, however, is ill-timed and simplistic in its approach to the separation of MABS from the Citizens Information Board, CIB. It falls short of logic, rationale and the effective and efficient delivery of modern citizen-centric services. This proposal runs counter to one of CIB’s core functions, namely, the provision of advice on personal debt and money management delivered through MABS. Any attempt to take MABS out from under the remit of CIB will have nothing but a destabilising effect on service delivery, which, in turn will permeate to MABS clients. It will affect those who lie awake at night with worry due to debt issues, those who are at risk of losing their family home and those who MABS supports. Nothing should distract from this work.

Deputy Brady offers nothing to support making such a fundamental change to the MABS governance structure at this time. Any attempt to unravel this model which is delivering results for clients will only be futile. It can only serve as a distraction to the important work that MABS staff are engaged in every day. Under CIB, MABS has continued to develop into a strong, professional, well-respected provider of free, confidential and independent advice, helping people from all sectors of our society to overcome their debt problems and support them in managing their finances.

In regard to the recently completed governance restructuring carried out by CIB, it is important to echo the Minister’s earlier statement that there have been no job losses, no closure of service delivery centres and, importantly, no diminution in services provided to MABS clients. One of the primary objectives of the CIB’s strategy for the next three years is to consolidate and embed the changes resulting from this recent restructuring process, to deliver the benefits of these changes to the clients who need them. It is important to allow for that time to show the benefits.

These changes have led to a reduction in back-office administration, increasing the available resources for front-line services, which all Deputies will agree can only be positive for MABS clients. CIB remains ideally positioned and legally empowered to support and promote two vital citizen-centric services, Citizen Information Services and MABS. Both are charged with the delivery of information, advice and advocacy. Both deliver to citizens at a local level, are entirely State funded and operate successfully under the single governance structure of CIB.

I thank all the MABS staff and their boards for the invaluable support, advice and guidance they continue to offer to people in their time of need.

See this speech in context