A Junior Minister is insisting that there is NO downgrading of the Citizen Information service.
It follows a recent change in how the service uses it volunteers while some have been told they are no longer needed. (More on that here and here).
Paid staff are leading the service rather than volunteers who may stay on in a reduced capacity.
Outreach offices remain closed in Callan, Graignamanagh, Mooncoin and Tullow.
The Business, Employment and Retail Minister Damien English has been telling KCLR Live’s Eimear Ní Bhraonáin that it’s not government policy and they’re actually upgrading the service.
Minister English is due in Castlecomer this evening to hear from local business representatives and people living in the area about how the cost of living crisis is affecting them.
Local councillor John Brennan says he’s keen for senior Government members to listen to the ordinary people while they are here in Kilkenny, telling KCLR News “People are living in fear, old people are living in fear out the country that they won’t be able to light their open fire or their stove in the coming months and lights going to be switched off, it’s the fear of that that’s actually affecting the mental health of elderly people and not so elderly so I don’t think they realise how serious the situation is but they need to get the feeling on the ground”.
