Written answers
Wednesday, 17 December 2014
Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
Money Advice and Budgeting Service
Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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42. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a breakdown by location of the current waiting times for an appointment with the Money Advice and Budgeting Service; the number of staff in each branch over the past five years; the number of full-time staff who have been recruited to the service over the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48667/14]
Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS), under the aegis of the Citizens Information Board (CIB), assists people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems, in particular those on low incomes and people living on social welfare payments. In 2014 funding of some €18.6 million was provided to MABS.
Information on the waiting times in each MABS office is compiled on a quarterly basis and posted to the website. The most recent statistics available, compiled to end of September 2014, record that the average waiting time from first point of contact to first appointment with a money adviser is some 2.53 weeks. This is a national average and can vary between offices.
In 2013, 15 additional temporary staff were assigned to MABS local services for the establishment of the Approved Intermediary Service for the purpose of processing Debt Relief Notices as part of the new insolvency service arrangements.
The table below shows the average waiting times at MABS local offices, together with the staffing compliment in each office for the period 2010 – 2014 inclusive.
| Company | Waiting time 2014 Average (end Sept 2014 ) | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks | wte* | wte | wte | wte | Wte | |
| Arklow & District | 2 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Athlone | 1 | 2.25 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Ballymun | 3.4 | 5.92 | 5.92 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.4 |
| Blanchardstown | 3.2 | 5.09 | 5 | 5.25 | 5.25 | 5 |
| Bray | 0.8 | 5 | 5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| Carlow | 1 | 5.1 | 5.02 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.7 |
| Cavan | 1.2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Charleville | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Clare | 2.2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Clondalkin | 3.8 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Cork City | 1.8 | 9.8 | 7.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 7.3 |
| Cork North | 2.8 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| Cork West | 2.6 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Donegal North | 9.8 | 5.5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Donegal South | 4.4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Donegal West | 0.4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Drogheda | 2.2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Dublin 10 + 20 | 2 | 5.25 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.9 |
| Dublin 12 Area | 2.2 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 4.2 |
| Dublin North City | 5.6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Dublin North East | 2.8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Dublin South East | 2 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4 |
| Dun Laoghaire | 0.8 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Dundalk | 0.8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Dundrum/Rathfarnham | 2.4 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 4 | 4 | 4.1 |
| Fingal | 3.2 | 4.5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4.5 |
| Finglas Cabra | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.9 |
| Galway North | 1.8 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| Galway South | 2.4 | 7 | 7.5 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Kerry | 1.8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Kildare | 3.6 | 6.85 | 6.85 | 6.85 | 6.85 | 6.85 |
| Kilkenny | 1.4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Laois | 1.6 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Leitrim | 3.8 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.6 |
| Liffey South West | 1 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5 |
| Limerick | 9.4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Longford | 0.8 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Mayo North | 3.6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Mayo South | 6 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3 |
| Meath | 2.4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Monaghan | 1.8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Mullingar | 1.4 | 4 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.8 |
| Offaly | 2.4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Roscommon | 2.4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Sligo | 3.8 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3 |
| Tallaght | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Tipperary North | 2.4 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.5 |
| Tipperary South | 1.2 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.7 |
| Waterford | 0.8 | 9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.7 |
| Waterford West | 1.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2 |
| Wexford | 1.4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Total | (average) 2.53 | 222.6 | 214.29 | 213.6 | 213.6 | 213.75 |
*wte - whole time equivalents
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