A seminar entitled Advocacy in Ireland: Changing Times took place on 9th February 2011 at 10.30 – 2.00 in the Mill Room in Stewarts.
Some of the presentations are available for download.
Programme:
The new National Advocacy Service will become established in January 2011, fulfilling the legislative promise as set out in Comhairle Act 2000 and the Citizens Information Act 2007 to provide independent, representative advocacy services for people with disabilities. It will be managed by five Citizens Information Services and supported by the Citizens Information Board and will take over the work of the 46 pilot advocacy projects, with a particular remit for more vulnerable people with disabilities. The new Service follows many of the recommendations of the Round Table Evaluation Report.
The service will be regionally structured with five regional teams to provide a service to people with all types of disability across the country. Each regional team will be managed by a particular Citizens Information Service in Dublin, Westmeath, Offaly, Waterford and Leitrim. Teams will have a regional manager, a senior advocate and a number of other advocates. In the near future, the enactment of the instrument to legislate for the advocates statutory powers as set out in the above legislation will be agreed.