Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 423: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of clients availing of the facilities of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service for January 2009; if she will provide this information for each local office; the relevant figure for each office for January 2008 and January 2007; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4669/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) is the main Government funded service which provides assistance to people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems. There are 53 independent companies with voluntary boards of management operating the local services throughout the country. In 2009 almost €18 million has been provided to fund the service. Additional full and part time staff have been allocated to 6 MABS offices bringing to 252 the number of money advice staff employed in the MABS. This will ensure that people in debt seeking advice on their personal finances can access that advice promptly.

There are three ways that members of the public can receive the assistance, support and advice they need from MABS — through the MABS Telephone Helpline lo-call number 1890 283 438 available from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday, the 52 MABS companies nationwide operating in 65 locations delivering the locally based face to face service and the MABS website www.mabs.ie. In the period to the end of January 2009 1,552 new clients approached the MABS. In addition, 262 people sought information about budgeting and money management and the MABS National Helpline dealt with approx 2,030 calls. The detailed statistical breakdown of clients per centre for the months January 2009, January 2008, and January 2007 requested by the Deputy is not available. However nationally in January 2007 1,817 new clients approached the MABS. The corresponding figure for January 2008 was 1,210 new clients. In addition 906 callers were dealt with by the MABS National Helpline which was launched in October 2007.

Overall in 2008 some 16,600 new clients were seen by MABS. An additional 2,400 sought information about budgeting and money management from the local services and the MABS National Helpline received almost 11,000 calls.