Access to independent, accurate information improves equality of opportunity and provides a pathway to social and other services. However, sometimes more is needed. Some people are at a disadvantage when claiming their entitlements or seeking the services they need because of disability, social inequalities, literacy or language difficulties. Advocacy is a means of empowering people by supporting them to assert their views and claim their entitlements and where necessary representing and negotiating on their behalf.

One of the main ways in which the Citizens information Board supports advocacy services to the general public is through the network of Citizens Information Services, where information providers advocate at different levels in the areas of social welfare, housing, health and employment. Sometimes this may involve help with claiming benefits; at other times it may involve assisting a person to take a case to a Rights Commissioner or Social Welfare Appeals Office. CIB seeks to build the capacity of CIS information providers to advocate on behalf of clients, from negotiating complex information, seeking reviews of official decisions to helping people through the formal Appeals process.

Under the Citizens Information Act 2007 the Citizens Information Board has a mandate to provide advocacy targeted at people with disabilities. Between 2005 and 2010 it funded and supported the pilot Programme of Advocacy in the Community and Voluntary sector which, following an evaluation, was later restructured into the National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities

The National Advocacy Service (NAS) was set up to provide independent, representative advocacy services for people with disabilities. It is organised and managed on a regional basis by the Boards of five Citizens Information Services and is supported by the Citizens Information Board. From 2011, the new Service has taken over the work of the 46 pilot advocacy projects, with a particular remit for more vulnerable people with disabilities. The Minister for Social Protection, Eamon Ó Cúiv and the chair of CIB, Sylda Langford both acknowledged the excellent work of the pilot projects in laying the foundation for the new service through their work with people with disabilities.

The new Service follows many of the recommendations of the Round Table Evaluation report. It has five regional teams who provide a service to people with all types of disability across the country. Each regional team is managed by a particular Citizens Information Service's Board with Clondalkin, Westmeath, Offaly, Waterford and Leitrim CISs taking on this role. Each team has a regional manager, a senior advocate, an administrator and between five and seven advocates. NAS has the same annual budget as the pilot Community and Voluntary Advocacy Programme.

People with disabilities may get in touch with the advocacy service directly or they may be referred to it by family, friends or services. Disability service-providers may seek an advocacy service for people who use their services.

Regional managers are as follows:

Region 1 Clondalkin CIS Covering Dublin mainly within the M50				Office Location
Ben North	Manager	086 0218778	ben.north@advocacy.ie
Catherine Curran	Administrator	01 4056482	catherine.curran@advocacy.ie	Clondalkin
Suzy Byrne	Senior Advocate	086 8378757	suzy.byrne@advocacy.ie	Dublin City Centre
Margaret Tumbleton	Senior Advocate	087 7505374	margaret.tumbleton@advocacy.ie	Clondalkin
Sarah Ann Campbell	Advocate	086 0204142	sarah.campbell@advocacy.ie	Tallaght
Sarah L. Campbell	Advocate	086 0203795	sarahl.campbell@advocacy.ie	Blackrock
Jim Comiskey	Advocate	086 3658885	jim.comiskey@advocacy.ie	Dublin City Centre
Jenny Cullen	Advocate	087 1360611	jenny.cullen@advocacy.ie	Lucan
John McCrudden	Advocate	086 0203834	john.mccrudden@advocacy.ie	Dublin City Centre
Ruth McCullagh	Advocate	087 9800161	ruth.mccullagh@advocacy.ie	Blackrock
Tessa Van Keeken	Advocate	086 0203698	tessa.vankeeken@advocacy.ie	City Centre

Region 2  Westmeath CIS Covering North East – Cavan, Fingal, Longford, Louth, Meath , Monaghan and Westmeath					Office Location
Louise Loughlin	Manager	086 4102083		louise.loughlin@advocacy.ie
Mandy Price	Administrator	090 64 78851		mandy.price@advocacy.ie	Athlone
Louise Dawson	Senior Advocate	086 4102094		louise.dawson@advocacy.ie	Louth
Andrea Reynolds	Advocate	086 6077244		andrea.reynolds@advocacy.ie	Cavan/ Longford
Pauline McKenna	Advocate	086 0211396		pauline.mckenna@advocacy.ie	Monaghan
Mary Chapman	Advocate	086 8358829		mary.chapman@advocacy.ie	Westmeath/ Longford
Ann Saurin	Advocate	086 0211346		ann.saurin@advocacy.ie	Fingal

Region 3 Offaly CIS Covering South East – Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wexford and Wicklow					Office Location
Selina Doyle	Manager	086 0409978		selina.doyle@advocacy.ie
Sharon Cornally	Administrator	0761 07 6298		sharon.cornally@advocacy.ie	Offaly
Christina  Conroy	Senior Advocate	086 6093508		christina.conroy@advocacy.ie	Offaly/ Laois
Rachel Bergin	Advocate	087 2666720		rachel.bergin@advocacy.ie	Kildare
Jolene Kelly	Advocate	087 2350161		jolene.kelly@advocacy.ie	Wexford
Mary Linehan	Advocate	086 0218745		mary.linehan@advocacy.ie	Kilkenny
Gerald McCann	Advocate	086 8060768		gerald.maccann@advocacy.ie	Carlow
Patty O'Malley	Advocate	086 8065641		patty.omalley@advocacy.ie	Wicklow

Region 4  Waterford CIS Covering South West - Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford					Office Location
Patricia O'Dwyer	Manager	086 0223984		patricia.odwyer@advocacy.ie
Anne-Marie Collins	Administrator	0761 07 6590		annemarie.collins@advocacy.ie	Waterford
Gerry Rattigan	Senior Advocate	086 0223998		gerry.rattigan@advocacy.ie	Cork
Mary Carroll	Advocate	086 0224022		mary.carroll@advocacy.ie	Kerry
Israel Finnerty	Advocate	086 0224051		israel.finnerty@advocacy.ie	West Cork
Grace Moore	Advocate	086 0224054		grace.moore@advocacy.ie	Limerick
Anna Newman	Advocate	086 0224023		anna.newman@advocacy.ie	Tipperary
Ann Marie O'Sullivan	Advocate	086 0224073		annmarie.osullivan@advocacy.ie	Cork

Region 5 Leitrim CIS West – Clare, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo					Office Location
Josephine Keaveney	Manager	086 0201095		josephine.keaveney@advocacy.ie
Lisa Mulvey	Administrator	086 7707096		lisa.mulvey@advocacy.ie	Leitrim
Clare  O'Neill	Senior Advocate	086 0200713		clare.oneill@advocacy.ie	Mayo
Helen Collins	Advocate	086 6010830		helen.collins@advocacy.ie	Clare
Carmel Donovan	Advocate	086 0232477		carmel.donovan@advocacy.ie	Roscommon
Greg Duff	Advocate	087 9697404		greg.duff@advocacy.ie	Galway
Andrea Farrell	Advocate	086 0291948		andrea.farrell@advocacy.ie	South Mayo
Marion Gallagher	Advocate	086 1736421		marion.gallagher@advocacy.ie	Donegal
Martina Kilgallon	Advocate	087 9980152		martina.kilgallon@advocacy.ie	Sligo
Rebecca Leavy	Advocate	087 0641163		rebecca.leavy@advocacy.ie	Galway
Elaine Morris	Advocate	087 0529111		elaine.morris@advocacy.ie	Leitrim

In order to enhance advocacy services for all citizens - including people with disabilities - five Advocacy Support Workers (ASWs) have been recruited to work with CISs across the country. Each is based in a particular CIS but will work with staff in all CISs within that region. They will build on the work of the Advocacy Resource Officer (ARO) project, their work mainly consisting of training and mentoring, providing specialised advice on cases, and case review. The five CISs employing the ASWs are: Clondalkin, Longford, Offaly, West Cork and Clare.