Citizens Information Celebrating 50 Years in operation

The Citizens Information Network in Ireland celebrates its 50th year in operation this year. Citizens Information provides a free, impartial and confidential service to the public on a wide range of areas including social welfare and employment rights, health services, housing, education, family matters and consumer rights

When Mayo Citizens Information Service first opened its doors, it was staffed by volunteers. Now with a core group of permanent staff members, scheme workers and volunteers, Citizens Information continues to advise the public on a daily basis.

Tomás Lally, Development Manager of Mayo CIS stated:

“Citizens Information provides a crucial information and advice service to the public, informing them of their rights and entitlements. The service also offers advocacy support where necessary, helping people who need non-legal representation. Many people come through our doors feeling confused and anxious but leave our service confident and reassured in the knowledge that they have easy access to a trusted and supportive service. 

On the anniversary of its establishment, the Citizens Information Network acknowledges and celebrates the men and women who have contributed to the delivery of this crucial public service over the last fifty years, In particular, I would like to remember the contribution of people like Kitty Howley, Jackie Gleason, Kay Dolan, Máire Ruane, Sr Juliet Walsh, Tony Cawley and others who were responsible for the establishment of the service in the county.” 

Mayo CIS has offices located in Castlebar, Ballina, Belmullet, Claremorris and Westport. They are part of South Connacht Citizens Information Service which provides services in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon.

In 2024, South Connacht Information Service provided information, advice and advocacy services to 30,082 clients and dealt with 57,215 queries. The demand for advice continues to grow. The increasing move of public services and application processes online has led to real accessibility issues for many members of the public. By far the biggest issues facing clients continue to be administrative barriers and gaps in information; having one-to-one support from an Information Officer in situations like this is essential.

Staff at Mayo CIS undertake training on an ongoing basis to update their knowledge and skills, and they work hard to provide a caring and empathetic service which empowers the clients they work with, while achieving the best possible outcome for them.

No appointment is necessary to meet with an Information Officer. Threshold, the housing advice agency, delivers outreach clinics at our Castlebar office on the first and third Wednesday of each month.

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