Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 698: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the progress in relation to the programme for Government commitment to invest further in the Citizens' Information Board to enable them to engage advocacy officials to assist people with disabilities in accessing their entitlements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29952/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The provision of an advocacy service remains a priority for this Government. Significant resources have been provided since 2007, and will continue to be made available to the Citizens Information Board (CIB) for the development and provision of advocacy services for people including those with disabilities.

Funding of €6.1 million was provided to CIB in the period 2005 to 2008 for the development of advocacy services and for the implementation of the Disability Sectoral Plan. The estimated expenditure by CIB in 2009 for the provision of advocacy and disability services is €3.2m.

The Citizens Information Board has developed a Community and Voluntary Sector Advocacy Programme 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 2009, in excess of 5,000 members of the public have availed of the services provided by the projects.

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

I am satisfied with the developments undertaken to provide advocacy services for people with disabilities through the Citizens Information Board. The funding provided has allowed for the continued increase in the number of people availing of the Community and Voluntary Sector Advocacy Projects and mainstream advocacy through the Citizens Information Services network. The Department will continue to work with the Citizens Information Board (CIB) to further enhance advocacy services for all citizens, including those with disabilities.