Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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47. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection for a breakdown of the funding allocated to the national advocacy service in terms of staffing numbers, etc. in each of the past three years. [36718/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice (including money and budgeting advice) and advocacy services to all citizens on a wide range of public and social services. One of the functions of the CIB, as defined in the Comhairle Act 2000 and the Citizens Information Act 2007, is to directly provide or support the provision of advocacy services to individuals and in particular to assist those with a disability, to identify and understand their needs and options, in order to secure their entitlement to social services.

One of the main ways in which the Citizens Information Board supports advocacy services to the general public is through its network of 42 Citizens Information Services (CIS’s), where information providers advocate on behalf of their clients mainly in relation to access to public and social services such as social welfare, housing, health and employment. Information providers support their clients to act on their own behalf wherever possible (self-advocacy). They also advocate directly on behalf of their clients through contacting and negotiating with third parties or attending meetings, hearings or appeals.

In 2011, the National Advocacy Service (NAS) was established under the Citizens Information Board to provide an independent, confidential, and free representative advocacy service to vulnerable people with disabilities who cannot self-advocate, while supporting others to use mainstream services. The budget allocation and the total number of staff in the National Advocacy Service in each of the past three years is set out the following table.

National Advocacy Service (NAS)