Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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343. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he has approved the creation of 16 new senior manager posts in the context of the Citizens Information Board planned restructuring of MABS and the dissolution of the network of independent countrywide Citizens Information Services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16136/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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At the outset, it is important to note that there are no plans for the dissolution of the network of independent countrywide Citizens Information Services.

The Citizens Information Board (CIB), which has statutory responsibility for the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) and the Citizens Information Services (CIS), decided on 15 February 2017, to restructure the governance arrangements of both services. CIB assures me that there will be no job losses, no closure of services, no change to service delivery locations and no change to the terms and conditions of serving staff during the lifetime of the restructuring programme. Most importantly, there will be no disruption to CIS and MABS services for those who use them.

The decision taken will simply reduce the number of individual local CIS and MABS company boards from ninety three (93) to sixteen (16). A new regional board structure will be put in place which will comprise eight (8) CIS boards and eight (8) MABS boards. The restructured governance arrangements are being implemented at local company board level only and will bring both the CIS and MABS organisations more into line with modern public service governance guidelines and requirements where significant State funding is involved.

In 2017, CIB is set to receive State funding of €54 million, of which €15 million is allocated to CIS services (including €13.1 million to the 42 local Citizens Information Services, €1.2 million to Citizens Information Phone services and, the balance, €0.7 million to central and other supports), and €24.6 million is allocated to the network of MABS services (including €15.4 million to the 51 local MABS, €0.3m to National Traveller MABS, €2.0 million to MABS National Development Company, €3.3million to the MABS Dedicated Mortgage Arrears initiative, €3.5 million to the Abhaile Scheme and the remaining €0.1m to MABS central supports).

Following on from the decision of the Board, a Restructuring Implementation Group is being set up by CIB to examine all aspects of implementing the new sixteen (16) board model.

My Department has not received a proposal from CIB in relation to senior manager posts to date.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.