Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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253. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will make a statement on her department's oversight role in relation to the Citizens Information Service. [10660/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is a statutory body with an information, advice and advocacy role in relation to a wide range of public and social services.  CIB lies under the aegis of my Department, which provides annual Exchequer funding to CIB to deliver on its statutory functions.

In line with the Code of Practice on the Governance of State Bodies, an Oversight Agreement and Performance Delivery Agreement, reviewed annually, are in place with CIB and the Department.  Regular oversight meetings, financial monitoring and annual management meetings take place between CIB and the Department.

Section 7(1) of the Comhairle Act charges CIB with the provision of independent information, advice and advocacy services.  This is to ensure that individuals receive impartial advice and access to accurate and comprehensive information relating to social services.  This statutory independence is also to ensure that Government cannot unduly influence the information or advice offered by CIB, nor dictate how it should provide services.

The CIB provides funding and support to a total of 22 companies to deliver service on its behalf.  The primary mechanism by which CIB provides oversight of these companies is through Service Level Agreements (SLAs).  These SLAs set out a common understanding between CIB and the companies regarding how funds will be used.  Funds are allocated to the companies on an annual basis based on the SLA.

In relation to your specific query, CIB provides funding and support to eight regional Citizens Information Services companies that operate a national network of Citizens Information Centres (CIC), which in turn provide information, advice and advocacy services in their respective geographic areas.  Each CIS is a limited company overseen by a regional manager and board of directors.  Each company is entirely responsible for all matters and decisions relating to its staff and operations.

Having said this, it is also important to recognise and protect the statutory independence of the Citizens Information Board and the separation between it and the eight independent regional Citizen Information Service (CIS) companies, which it funds, and which operate the national network of Citizens Information Centres on its behalf.   

Any operational changes or decisions in the Citizens Information Service are therefore a matter for CIB and the independent boards.  As Minister, I cannot direct CIS regarding operational decisions.

I trust this clarifies the matter.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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254. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the independent review of volunteering in the Citizens Information Service has been completed; and when the report will be published. [10661/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection (DSP), with responsibility for the Citizens Information Service (CIS).  CIB provides funding to eight independent regional CIS companies that operate a national network of Citizens Information Centres.  In September 2022, the CIB Board commissioned an independent review of the volunteer strategy of the CIS.

As Minister I absolutely recognise and value the important work carried out by volunteers and I have been very clear to CIB that it is important that the voluntary ethos of the CIS should be protected, and the skills of its volunteers should be utilised to the maximum extent possible.

To this end, an independent review of volunteering in the CIS is currently in train.  The purpose of the review is to explore the role of the volunteer in the service, through extensive consultation and engagement with internal and external stakeholders, including current and past volunteers, CIS staff and agencies which receive referrals from the CIS.

Due to an extended level of consultation, the final report will be completed over the coming weeks and will be presented to the CIB Board for approval, followed by wider dissemination.  The findings and recommendations of this review will directly inform CIB’s new three-year strategy 2023-2025 which is currently in development. 

I trust this clarifies your query on this matter.