FIANNA Fáil spokesperson on Social Protection, Willie O’Dea has tabled a Dáil motion to maintain the current status of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) in Limerick and other locations throughout the country.
The motion, which will be debated later this week, calls on Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar to halt the restructuring process to ensure that meaningful engagement takes place with stakeholders, including staff and volunteers.
Since its formation in 1992, MABS has been working to help people cope with debts and take control of their own finances. With over 25 years of experience, it continues to provide invaluable support and advice to people at a time of great need on a range of debt issues.
“At present there is a Citizens Information Board and a MABS in every area including Limerick. They are all run locally and have operated very successfully for many years. The Government now want to replace the current structure with eight regional Boards for both,” Deputy O’Dea told the Limerick Post.
“This will mean that they will no longer be locally run with a local ethos which has worked so well in the past. The Government have produced no evidence to show it will improve the service for users.”
He says the Government are not taking account of the volunteers who get involved locally and are less likely to do so for a remote organisation based outside their communities.
“This is a smash and grab raid to take control of the services and take it away from the community and I urge all TDs to back my motion and protect MABS and the Citizens Information Service in Limerick and around the country,” he concluded.
The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) are also of the view that the proposed reorganisation must not result in any diminution or dilution of the MABS services.
“Accessibility to MABS services locally must be safeguarded,” said Kieran Stafford, SVP National Vice-President.
“Local boards also have a strong organic connection to the local community, including local civil society representatives such as St Vincent de Paul. SVP’s involvement is most obvious in the commitment of its members to voluntarily work within the MABS service and the referrals between SVP and MABS of people who need assistance with budgeting,” he added.
SVP says that the structural changes under discussion require careful implementation through a sensitive process, and in a way that will honour the role of the thousands of volunteers who helped establish, maintain and provide the MABS service.
by Alan Jacques
alan@limerickpost.ie
