Many parents in Galway and surrounding areas could be left struggling to pay for the cost of sending their children to school even more this September as only 18 per cent of applications made to HSE West for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Grant have been processed to date.
According to figures released to the Labour Party in recent days the HSE West received 7,500 applications for the grant but only 1,370 have been dealt with and processed to date.
Nationally, over 120,000 applications have been received by the HSE but only 49,000 or just over 40 per cent, with an estimated value of €23.82 million, have been processed.
“This would suggest that when it comes to getting children back to school in a few weeks time, many thousands of families who badly need this additional support will simply not have it,” says Galway city Labour councillor Billy Cameron.
“The beginning of the school year is a time when families face huge expences between buying books and stationery, paying for transport, contributions to the school, etc. The grants provided to assist in the purchase of shoes and uniforms provide some level of relief to families who are under financial pressure, but only if they receive the support when they actually need it.
“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,” he said.
Cllr Cameron has called on the Health Minister Mary Harney to intervene and make sure the HSE are in a position to handle an increase in applications and that necessary staffing arrangements are made.
