Fianna Fáil councillor Aengus O’Rourke has written to Minister Joan Burton calling on her to guarantee that all families entitled to the Back to School Allowance will receive the payment in advance of the new school term.
Reacting to two new surveys on back to school costs, Cllr O’Rourke also called for greater use of technology in schools to cut down on the cost of books.
“We cannot continue to accept a situation where so many parents are forced to go without food or are unable to pay basic household bills just so they can afford to send their children to school in September,” said Cllr O’Rourke.
“This year 205,125 children are eligible for the Back to School allowance, and I am calling on the Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton to guarantee that each and every one of them will receive the payment in the next two weeks. Last year we saw a chaotic situation where thousands of families who were eligible for the payment were waiting months and didn't receive it until well after the school term began. This was attributed to the introduction of a new automatic system last year, but there are no excuses this year for any delays.
“Families who are being squeezed from every angle at the moment need to know that the Government is taking some action to alleviate the increased financial pressure they face at this time every year.”
