Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the issue of the Citizens Information Board and paid employees and volunteers in an office setting, a matter I have tried to get on the agenda for quite a while. As people are aware, the Citizens Information Board adopted a policy whereby full-time office staff must be fully paid employees and volunteers were given what they described as menial jobs in the offices. Traditionally, Citizens Information Board offices are located in community centres or local authority buildings so, in essence, they are very much part of the local community. It is a valuable and essential service that has been serviced by a team of local people who are dedicated to their community. Many of them are experts in their field. Where this service deals with legal and confidential issues, a level of professionalism must be maintained but to cast aside volunteer staff, some of whom have been working with the Citizens Information Board for decades, is simply wrong. Reducing them to filing and shredding documents is an insult to their years of service. We constantly hear about the community and voluntary sector and how it must be cherished, valued and applauded, particularly during the Covid period. This move obviously means volunteers are less cherished and valued.

According to an email I received in recent weeks from an individual, their input is to be reduced to 35 staff hours per fortnight and the choice for existing volunteers is to provide a limited supporting role, as outlined, or leave. The email spoke about advisers with long experience in their earlier work environment, many of whom would have been professional people working in areas like taxation and social protection. The email went on to state that the existing 20 volunteers were not consulted in advance but were simply informed of the board's decision and that, as a group, they feel strongly that the proposed change is a retrograde step that will lead to a significant reduction in the level of support for the many disadvantaged people and others who need a range of help and assistance, particularly older people, who lack computer skills or access to computers. For people with disabilities, the community centre is their hub. Reducing the number of staff and volunteers will create a lack of access. The feedback the individual in question received was that face-to-face contact with advisers with wide experience in the public or private sectors who are willing to spend time teasing out their issues is greatly appreciated by many who seek advice.

Most of our offices are directing people to the places where those services are provided. We know quite a lot of them. Unfortunately, if we reduce that service, it will not be there for people in those centres in the community because there is not funding to cover the number of volunteers and hours they are going to lose. It is really disappointing that when they tried to engage with the board, they were met with a brick wall. Is there any update on this? Have there been discussions between the Government and the board as funders? It is important that the board recognises that it takes money from the taxpayer and the State and that it has a responsibility to the people who work for it, the people who volunteer with it and the people who engage with the service.

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