Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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1981. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason for his claim made in her amendment to the Fianna Fáil Private Members' motion on the independence of local citizens' information services that the Citizens Information Board made a decision to restructure the local citizens information services at a meeting on 17 February 2017 when this decision is not recorded in the minutes of this Citizens Information Board meeting which are available online; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26638/17]

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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1982. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the discrepancy of accounts between herself and the chief executive of the Citizens Information Board as to when a decision was made to restructure the governance of locally formerly independently run citizens information centres (details supplied). [26639/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1981 and 1982 together.

The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body responsible for providing information, advice (including money and budgeting advice service) and advocacy services on a wide range of public and social services. CIB delivers on this remit through a network of delivery partners, which includes 51 local Money Advice and Budgeting Services (MABS) and 42 local Citizens Information Services (CIS). In 2017, CIB is set to receive State funding of €54 million, of which €15 million is allocated to CIS services, and €24 million is allocated to the network of MABS services.

Extensive consultation on the proposed restructuring of governance arrangements has taken place over a number of years since CIB commissioned a feasibility study to identify options for organisational integration of its delivery partners. The work, carried out by Pathfinder, approached the study with a firm focus on detailed consultations with all stakeholders including local services, representative bodies, local boards, staff and in the case of CIS’s, volunteers.

In September 2014, Pathfinder presented four options to the Board of CIB. Feedback was received from the delivery partner services and channelled through the National Association of Citizens Information Services, the representative body for Citizens Information Services; the National Management Forum; and National Executive Committee, the representative bodies for management and staff of the MABS companies. In October 2014, the Board of CIB heard submissions from all three representative bodies.

The decision that change was needed in the structure of delivery partner companies was confirmed by the Board of CIB at its November 2014 meeting. This is recorded in the Register of Board decisions. The Board also agreed that a Design Group be tasked with presenting options on new organisational models for its consideration. The work of the Design Group took place in 2015 and recommended restructuring on a regional model basis. In October 2016, having reviewed the output of the Design Group, the Board decided to proceed with restructuring on a regional model basis. This is also recorded in the Register of Board decisions. The Board established a Restructuring Sub Committee to progress this work and report back to the Board of CIB in January 2017.

On 15th February 2017, following detailed discussion on the Report of the Restructuring Sub-Committee, the Board of CIB decided to adopt the Report and proceed with its implementation. The new governance model referred to in the Report comprises of eight regions with eight MABS companies and eight CIS companies. The adoption of the Report, containing the eight region model recommendation, is noted in the minutes and recorded in the Register of Board decisions.

The decision taken by the statutory Board of CIB comes after a lengthy period of consultation and detailed consideration of the options and views put forward at all stages. I am confident that the membership of the Board of CIB, which comprises experienced and competent individuals, representative of a broad spectrum of interests and which includes representatives of the Citizens Information Service and Money Advice and Budgeting Service, has made this important decision in the best interests of the citizens of Ireland, whom the Board serves.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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1983. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the provision in the Comhairle Act 2000 or the Citizens Information Act 2007 which empowers the board of the Citizens Information Board to unilaterally alter the local board structure of independently run citizens information centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26640/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body responsible for providing information, advice (including money and budgeting advice service) and advocacy services on a wide range of public and social services. CIB delivers on this remit through a network of delivery partners which includes 51 local Money Advice and Budgeting Services (MABS) and 42 local Citizens Information Services (CIS). In 2017, CIB is set to receive State funding of €54 million, of which €15 million is allocated to CIS services, and €24 million is allocated to the network of MABS services.

The Board of CIB, as a statutory body, has the right to make decisions on its day to day operational activities as it sees fit. The powers and functions of the Board are set out in Sections 6 and 7 of the Comhairle Act, 2000 and as amended by section 4 of the Citizens Information Act 2007.

Section 8 of the Comhairle Act, 2000, requires that the Board of CIB submits its three year Strategic Plan to the Minister for Social Protection and once approved, the Plan is laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas. Successive CIB Strategic Plans have been working towards the goal of joined up citizen centred services and the need to change structures and processes to enable more efficient use of resources, which are entirely publically funded. The current Strategic Plan 2015- 2018 is designed to ensure CIB and its delivery partner services meet the needs of citizens over the three year period in the most organisationally and economically effective way.

The Plan details six priority areas, one of which is to revise the structures of CISs and MABS to better serve the citizen by improving management structures and governance, management of resources and the delivery of consistent high quality services; this includes aligning CIB structures accordingly to maximise effective use of resources.

In January 2016, CIB’s Strategic Plan 2015-2018 was approved by the Minister and noted by Government. The decision taken by the Board of CIB on the 15th February 2017 to move from a governance structure of 93 individual local companies to a new sixteen company regional board model is entirely in keeping with CIB’s Strategic Plan, as approved by the Minister, noted by Government, and laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.