Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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54. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the Citizens Information Board has taken a final and official position on the cost benefit analysis report on the restructuring of MABS and CIS. [50573/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is a statutory body established by the Oireachtas. In addition to its own statutory responsibilities in relation to information and advocacy service provision, it has statutory responsibility for the countrywide networks of Citizens Information Services (CIS) and the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS).In February of this year, the Board of CIB decided to change its governance arrangements from ninety three individual service delivery companies to an eight region model. The new model will comprise sixteen regional companies, with one CIS and one MABS company in each region. Following a procurement exercise, the CIB Executive commissioned a Cost Benefit Analysis on the final model decided upon by the Board. The Cost Benefit Analysis, provided by independent economic consultants, was circulated to the Board of CIB for information in advance of its meeting on 20^thSeptember 2017. The report by its nature is an analytical report and, as such, is not dependent on approval or sign off by the Board.

Implementation by the CIB’s Executive of the Board’s February decision is underway. An Implementation Group, with cross - sectoral representation, has been set up to assist with the transition to the new governance model.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.