Lawrence Quinn Hemmings (Dublin City Centre Citizens Information), Síle Mason (Dun Laoghaire Citizens Information), Richard Philips (Dublin South CIS)
Citizens Information celebrates 50 years serving community
“I was extremely unsure about how to go about applying for housing under medical grounds. After visiting the Citizens Information not only have they armed me with information, they are actively helping me through the application process. Amazing service!”
The above is a comment from a client of Citizens Information in 2025, this year the service celebrate 50 years of the Citizens Information Network.
The service began in the 1970s when the National Social Service Council in conjunction with local community groups throughout Ireland, identified the need for generalist information services to help “bridge the information gap between State services and the public.”
That need still remains with many people struggling to know what their rights and entitlements are – the advent of digitalisation of many services proving difficult for some groups in society.
In February 1974, a conference in Dun Laoghaire called the Right to Know identified the need for such a service and the then Minister Frank Cluskey committed to fund a nationwide network.
On July 8, 1975, the first 25 centres were officially registered, this grew to 33 by the end of 1975 and 83 by 1979.
Today the network is made up of 8 Individual Citizens Information Service companies and the Citizens Information Phone Service, supported and funded by the Citizen Information Board (CIB).
Each Citizens Information Service covers a geographical area within its region as follows:
North Dublin, Dublin South, North Connacht & Ulster, North Leinster, North Munster, South Connacht, South Leinster and South Munster.
The Citizens Information Phone Service, CIPS, based in Cork, provides a nationwide service
Over 90 offices around the country provide a face-to-face service to clients across a wide range of topics.
In 2024, the Citizens Information nationally dealt with 767,168 queries. Dublin South CIS alone dealt with 58,504 queries and the demand for this service continues to grow.
Dublin South CIS has citizens information centres located in Clondalkin, Ballyfermot and Lucan, as well as Tallaght, Crumlin, Liberties Usher St, Dun Laoghaire and Dundrum.
We look forward to the future where we can continue to assist members of the public and ensure a free, impartial Information, Advice & Advocacy Service remains available.
Forty-five per cent of the queries related to social welfare with employment, housing, education, health, migration etc, making up the rest of the queries.
The year 1975 was an important chapter in the history of Citizens Information and on the anniversary of the registration of the first 25 centres, it is time to celebrate the people who built these services and look forward to the next chapters in their story.
