Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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327. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to review the changes in structure to MABS through the recent regionalisation of the service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34082/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS), funded by the Citizens Information Board (CIB), a statutory body under the aegis of my Department, is the State’s money advice service and provides assistance to people, in particular those on low income or dependent on social welfare supports, who are over-indebted. As part of its free services, MABS also provides support to those in mortgage arrears and is an administrator of Abhaile - the national State funded Mortgage Arrears Resolution Service.

In February 2017, following extensive analysis and engagement with all stakeholders, CIB, in consultation with my Department, commenced a restructuring of governance arrangements of the then existing network of 51 local MABS companies into eight regional MABS companies. The aim of this restructuring was to enhance the services offered by MABS (and other CIB service delivery companies), to improve governance arrangements and to ensure a modern and streamlined citizen-focused service delivery model. This restructuring was completed in October 2018. 

To support the governance restructuring, Regional Managers were appointed to each of the eight regional companies. Each company is overseen by a voluntary Board, which ensures that the provision of, and access to, MABS services are fair and consistent across the region. Significantly, under the revised structure, companies have the flexibility to allocate resources appropriately in response to emerging customer needs. In addition, clients in a region have access to all MABS services of the region and can contact any money advisor in that region about their case by phone, email, online chat or video conferencing. This governance restructuring saw no job losses, closure of service delivery or diminution in MABS services, and has allowed for a quick coordinated responses to emerging issues.