Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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609. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on the decision by the Citizens Information Board to cease funding the MABS national management forum with immediate effect; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3256/18]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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618. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason the MABS national management forum which was established in 2001 at the request of her Department is now being dismissed with the decision to withdraw its funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3488/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 609 and 618 together.

As the Deputies are aware, 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 2017, 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.

MABS National Management Forum, (NMF), was established as a representative body for the 51 local MABS management companies. A small annual funding allocation was made by CIB to the NMF to cover expenses, such as travel and subsistence etc., incurred in its day to day activities. As the local management boards will no longer be in place following the establishment of 8 new regional boards, the NMF will have no function in the revised structure. CIB issued a letter to NMF on January 18^thinforming them of its decision to cease direct funding.

However, any expenses, such as travel and subsistence etc, incurred by the local MABS companies’ representatives on the NMF, pending the establishment to the new regional management structure, can be claimed from the relevant local company.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.