PART 4

MONEY ADVICE AND BUDGETING SERVICE

26 .— In this Part “Act of 2000” means the Comhairle Act 2000 .

27 .— Section 2 (as amended by section 2 of the Citizens Information Act 2007 ) of the Act of 2000 is amended—

(a) in the definition of “voluntary body” by inserting “a money advice and budgeting service,” after “commonly known as”, and

(b) in the definition of “social service” by inserting “advice on personal debt and money management” after “consumer matters,”.

28 .— Section 7 (as amended by section 4 of the Citizens Information Act 2007 ) of the Act of 2000 is amended—

(a) in subsection (1) by inserting the following paragraphs after paragraph (c)—

“(ca) to support the provision of a service to be known, in the English language, as the Money Advice and Budgeting Service or, in the Irish language, as An tSeirbhís Buiséadaithe agus Comhairle Airgid, to provide advice to individuals for the purpose of the management, avoidance, reduction and discharge of personal debt and in relation to money management,

(cb) to promote and develop the provision of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service and to provide information in respect of such provision,

(cc) to provide, subject to the consent of the Minister, and in accordance with subsection (1A), financial assistance to a voluntary body in respect of any matter related to the functions referred to in paragraphs (ca), (cb), (cd), (ce), (cf) and (cg),

(cd) to promote and develop education in respect of money management,

(ce) to compile and publish data relating to the provision of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service,

(cf) to promote and disseminate awareness and information to the public relating to the provision of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service,

(cg) to undertake, or commission, research relating to the functions referred to in paragraphs (ca), (cb) and (cd) and on any matter, as the Minister may, from time to time, request, in relation to the functions referred to in paragraphs (ca), (cb) and (cd) to (cf),

(ch) to provide advice, information and assistance to the Minister in respect of the functions referred to in paragraphs (ca) to (cg) and such advice, information and assistance in relation to those functions as the Minister may, from time to time, request,”,

(b) in subsection (1A)—

(i) in paragraph (a), by substituting “subsection (1),” for “subsection (1), and”,

(ii) by inserting the following paragraph after paragraph (a):

“(aa) support the provision, promotion and development of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service under subsections (1)(ca) and (1)(cb) and the functions referred to in subsections (1)(cd) to (1)(cg),”,

(iii) in paragraph (b), by substituting “subsection (1)(h), and” for “subsection (1)(h),”,

(iv) by inserting the following paragraph after paragraph (b):

“(ba) provide financial assistance to a voluntary body under subsection (1)(cc),”,

(v) by substituting “may apply under paragraphs (a), (aa), (b) and (ba)” for “may apply under paragraphs (a) and (b)”,

(c) in subsection (1C)—

(i) by substituting “paragraphs (a) and (aa) of subsection (1A)” for “paragraph (a) of subsection (1A)”, and

(ii) by substituting “paragraphs (b) and (ba) of that subsection” for “paragraph (b) of that subsection”,

(d) in subsection (1D)—

(i) by substituting “paragraphs (a) and (aa) of subsection (1A)” for “paragraph (a) of subsection (1A)”, and

(ii) by substituting “paragraphs (b) and (ba) of that subsection” for “paragraph (b) of that subsection”,

and

(e) by inserting the following subsection after subsection (1E):

“(1F) The Board, in performing the functions conferred on it under subsections (1)(ca) to (1)(ch), shall have regard to—

(a) the provision, in particular, of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service to persons on low income who are, or are at risk of becoming, over indebted, and

(b) Government policy, in particular social inclusion policy.”.

29 .— The Act of 2000 is amended by inserting the following section after section 25:

“Transfer by Minister of certain rights and liabilities.

25A.— (1) Where, before the day on which this section comes into operation, the Minister has entered into any contract, agreement or arrangement with any person in respect of the provision by that person of a service commonly known as a money advice and budgeting service, and that contract, agreement or arrangement is in force immediately before the day on which this section comes into operation, the Minister may, as he or she sees fit, under his or her seal, transfer or assign his or her rights or liabilities arising under such contract, agreement or arrangement to the Board.

(2) Every right and liability transferred by subsection (1) to the Board may, on or after the day on which this section comes into operation, be sued on, recovered or enforced by or against the Board in its own name.”.