David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 116: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the funding which has been allocated to date to the establishment of the Personal Advocacy Service for persons with disabilities both from her Department directly or through budget allocations to the Citizens Information Board; the expenditure on the establishment on the service to date; if a director of PAS has been appointed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34732/08]

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 135: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when a personal advocacy service for persons with a disability will be put in place; the progress to date on appointments to the personal advocacy service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34842/08]

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 176: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when a personal advocacy service for persons with a disability will be put in place, as announced in the Government's disability strategy; the progress to date on appointments to the Personal Advocacy Service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34495/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 116, 135 and 176 together.

The statutory basis for the introduction of a personal advocacy service under the Citizens Information Board (CIB) was provided for in the Citizens Information Act, 2007. However, having regard to the current budgetary circumstances, it will not be possible to proceed with this next year.

The provision of an advocacy service remains a priority for this Government. In this regard, significant resources have been provided since 2005, and will continue to be made available under the auspices of the Citizens Information Board for the development and provision of advocacy services for people with disabilities. Funding of €1.8 million was provided in 2008 for service developments which include advocacy services. This brings the total funding for advocacy services to €6.1m for the period 2005 to 2008.

The Community and Voluntary Sector Advocacy programme has been developed by the Board since 2005 and has funded 46 separate advocacy projects. The overall focus of the programme is on representative advocacy for people with a disability. Projects either operate within a specific geographic area or are focused on a particular disability type. Each of the projects poses different challenges, some requiring more intensive work with smaller caseloads while others have larger caseloads with shorter periods of client contact.

Up to the end of June 2008, 3,241 members of the public have availed of the services provided by the projects. The breakdown per year is as follows:

2005 — Nil

2006 — 744

2007 — 1,322

June 2008 (6 months) — 1,175

There was an increase of 78% in the number of people availing of these services between 2006 and 2007 and the figures for the first six months of this year suggest that a similar increase will occur in 2008.

The Citizens Information Board is monitoring the programme to ensure that the projects are operating in accordance with the Board's advocacy guidelines. It is planned to undertake a full evaluation of the Community and Voluntary Sector Advocacy programme in 2010.

The Citizens Information Board also provides advocacy through the Citizens Information Services focusing on access to services, welfare entitlements and employment rights. This type of mainstream advocacy is also open to people with disabilities and the Community and Voluntary Sector Advocacy programme is creating close links with the Citizens Information Services to ensure that people with disabilities are encouraged and supported to use the mainstream services where possible. The advocacy capacity is being strengthened through the provision of Advocacy Resource Officers who work to build the capacity of information providers within the Citizens Information Services to advocate on behalf of clients. There are nine Advocacy Resource Officer in operation across the Citizens Information Services network.

I am satisfied with the developments undertaken to provide advocacy services for people with disabilities through the Citizens Information Board since 2004. The Department will continue to work with them to further enhance advocacy services for all citizens including those with disabilities.