Failure to Process Applications - Not Acceptable
Issued : Thursday 5 August, 2010
According to information released to the Labour Party in recent days, just Twelve per cent of applications to the HSE for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Grant have been processed to date in the HSE South Area. This area covers Counties Cork and Kerry.
To date some 18,000 applications have been received by the HSE but only 2,100 have been processed. This leaves almost 16,000 applications outstanding. The failure of the HSE to process these applications will put already hard-pressed families to the pin of their collar. It would suggest that many thousands of families, who badly need this additional support, will simply not have it when they need it most.
The beginning of the school year is a hugely expensive time for families. This grant provides much needed relief to families who are under financial pressure. This year, it is more important than ever with the huge increases in the number of people on the Live Register.
I appreciate that work on these applications is ongoing, but it is very likely that the HSE will receive tens of thousands more in the coming weeks, adding to the backlog.
Obviously, the recruitment embargo is not helping the situation and is a major problem when it comes to processing annual claims such as this one.
The Government should be in a position to anticipate this situation long before it reaches crisis point, and ensure that they can put in place the necessary staffing arrangements, in a timely manner.
ENDS
