Foster Committed To Dealing With Debt

Speaking to a wide cross-section of representatives from business, government and community and voluntary sectors, Foster said: "The economic downturn is being felt right across Northern Ireland and its effects are making debt one of the most serious and damaging problems affecting the community.

"My department is seeking to help those in financial difficulty by providing help at the earliest opportunity, including easy access to face to face advice.

"We awarded a £1.2 million, three-year contract to the Citizens' Advice Bureau last year, to maintain this much-needed service up to 2011. Nearly 2500 new clients used this debt facility between 2008-2009, with associated debt of £24.5 million. This represents an increase in total debt of 77.5% on the previous year.

"Unsurprisingly, 2009 has seen continued demand on services. During the first quarter of the year, from April-June, advisers dealt with around 530 new clients owing over £6 million of debt.

"I appreciate that debt is a complex issue to which there is no single solution and I am committed to working with the existing debt advice network, to help bring forward initiatives as we seek to address the problem of debt in our society."