Published Thursday, 27 October 2011
Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster announced on Thursday that funding for debt advice services will be provided until 2015.
It is the 10th anniversary of the Consumer Credit Counselling Service's (CCCS) in Northern Ireland.
Ms Foster said: "I have made it a priority to protect and secure funding for debt advice in order to help those vulnerable people who cannot cope with spiralling debt that has often been accumulated as a result of the recession."
A public tender opportunity will be launched later this year to appoint a provider to deliver an integrated face-to-face and telephone debt advice service.
The minister added: "In these uncertain times, it is incumbent on all of us to use the resources available to ensure an effective and efficient service for the Northern Ireland public. I would like to see increased cooperation and collaboration between all of the free debt advice services in Northern Ireland to ensure that clients are referred to the service best suited to their needs."
Praising CCCS Northern Ireland, which was established in 1991, Ms Foster said: "The valuable service provided by the partners involved in this project started from scratch and it is a significant achievement to go from that base point to the position they are at today, having helped people in the region to repay over £20m of problem debt."
Debbie Mills, managing counsellor of the CCCS Northern Ireland centre, said: "Many people in the province are struggling to cope at the moment, and the problem of personal debt will be a key issue in the years ahead.
"In these difficult times, CCCS will continue to offer free, impartial and confidential debt advice to anyone in Northern Ireland who is struggling to cope."