Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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381. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when all citizens information offices will close and become subsumed into existing departmental structures. [34800/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is a statutory independent body, which operates under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection.  CIB provides funding to 22 companies in order to deliver services on its behalf.  This includes eight Citizen Information Services (CIS) companies that operate a national network of Citizens Information Centres.  These eight companies are fully responsible for the delivery of services and all related operational matters including office opening hours in their respective regions.

CIB have advised me that there are no plans to close all Citizens Information Centres.  I can also confirm that my Department has no plans to subsume the Citizens Information network into current Departmental structures.

Both the CIB and the CIS Boards are committed to the continued ongoing delivery of high-quality services nationally and will continue to provide essential information, advice and advocacy to the citizens of Ireland in the most effective manner possible.