The Money Advice and Budgeting Service is inundated with more than 400 new clients every week who have become embroiled in serious debt problems, the Dáil was told last week.

Social welfare minister Mary Hanafin said the independent, government-funded service provided debt advice to 3,373 new clients from January to the end of February, while another 500 sought budgeting and money-management advice.

This works out at more than 430 direct new clients every week. Another 470 people per week have used the MABS national helpline.

Hanafin also said while the majority of people getting into debt were on social welfare, 25% of new clients were in employment and just under 4% were self-employed.

In addition, 34% had mortgages and 7% lived with their parents. It also emerged that clients in the north Dublin suburb of Coolock have to wait six weeks to see an adviser, such is the increase in the workload on the debt advice agency.

But Hanafin said she has no plans to transfer civil servants in her department to Mabs to help with the agency's workload. In 2009, the agency received €18m of funding, she said, and six additional full- and part-time staff were allocated to local services.

The service runs 60 local offices throughout the country and employs 150 people.

Michael Culloty of Mabs said while the agency is experiencing an increase in its workload and some of its offices have waiting lists, there is no reason why anybody should be left without immediate advice. He said people can use the national helpline (1890-283438) or access the agency's website (www.mabs.ie).

"But the problem is, we don't know how long or deep this recession will be" said Culloty. He also warned people who may be waiting on an adviser not to use the many debt advice services that have sprung up in the wake of the deepening recession. "Some of these agencies end up charging you a fee of 15% of your debt and many of them are not independent at all," he said. Mabs is free and independent, he said.