Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 142: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the steps she is taking to ensure greater efficiencies at the Money Advice and Budgeting Service; and the amount of savings or the type of efficiencies secured in the past 12 months. [34399/09]

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 167: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the steps she is taking to ensure greater efficiencies at the Citizens Information Service; and the amount of savings or the type of efficiencies secured in the past 12 months. [34401/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 142 and 167 together

In Budget 2009, Government decided to assign responsibility for Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) to the Citizen Information Board. The primary objective was to bring the two organisations under one Board of Management, maximise infrastructure, share support services and thus achieve efficiencies in the use of resources.

Current initiatives underway to ensure greater efficiency in the use of resources in both organisations include:

· Co-location of services in a single office

· Insurance provision

· General procurement, including IT equipment, office supplies, energy costs

· Broadening of CIB's internal audit function to include MABS companies

· 8% reduction in professional fees

· Reduced travel and subsistence

· 5% reduction in electricity costs

· Consolidation of advertising for the recruitment of staff for MABS

· Efficiencies in a range of areas e.g. office supplies.

· Promoting the CIB and MABS websites as a source of information

It is estimated that savings of €500K will be achieved by the CIB in 2009. There are no figures available at this time in relation to savings by MABS.

It is envisaged that the assignment of responsibility for MABS to the CIB will generate efficiencies and savings in the future in such areas as service co-location, administration and shared support services.