31/08/10

With 3,500 applications as of last week still awaiting processing across counties Cork and Kerry for the back to school allowance provision must be made to ensure adequate resources are put in place to deal with applications next time according to Cork East Labour party TD Seán Sherlock

"I am aware of families who have still not received their payments putting them under immense financial pressure. School started this week and in some cases parents found themselves having to borrow from family or friends to meet the costs of preparing their child for the school year.

 

 

"The grants provided to assist in the purchase 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 by the HSE on these applications is ongoing, but it is now clear that many families are going to find themselves in a serious financial bind this week,

 

 

"Figures published on the HSE website show that across Counties Cork and Kerry 21,500 families applied for assistance under the scheme. As of August 20th 3,500 of these were still awaiting processing,

 

 

"This problem need never have occurred in the first place. Health Minister Mary Harney should have made sure months ago, that the HSE were in a position to anticipate this situation long before it reached crisis point, so that they could put in place the necessary staffing arrangements, in a timely manner,

 

 

 

"With more and more and more people now out of work, and many others on reduced incomes, and already under severe financial pressure, this is a problem that the Minister for Education Mary Coughlan needs to take by the scruff of the neck.

 

 

The Labour Party has previously published the findings of research indicating that it can cost as much as €1200 per child to cover the costs of uniforms, books, voluntary contributions, stationery etc. The fact of the matter is that with a bit of lateral thinking on the part of the Minister and a bit of political will, many of these costs could be reduced dramatically.

 

 

For instance, many schools require students to wear a specialised uniform which can prove to be particularly expensive when compared to those available in the chain stores.

 

 

At the very least the Minister should publish a set of guidelines for schools in this regard, to ensure that all families are given the option of purchasing the less expensive uniforms.

 

 

In addition schools should operate guidelines on the type of sports gear required to avoid pressures on parents to purchase designer labels. The Department of Social and Family Affairs and the Department of Education and Science should assist schools in formulating these guidelines.

 

 

The Minister must also put greater pressure on schools to operate a book rental scheme. These schemes are operating in many if not most schools around the country, but there are still many where they are not. Book rental schemes can save families hundreds of euro and the Minister must incentivise schools to put such arrangements in place.

 

 

I also believe that there should be an up-to-date review of the Aid for School Books Grant Scheme to take account of changing prices and changes in the use of textbooks and that the National Council for Curriculum Assessment should consider the cost of school books when drawing up new or amending existing curricula.

 

 

The cost of running a school is all too often being passed on directly to parents in the form of voluntary contributions and various administration fees, but this cost could be reduced if schools could in some way pool their purchasing power.

 

 

An Garda Siochana secures substantial savings from service providers like the ESB by having one account that covers all stations. There is no reason that the Dept of Education could not negotiate such a deal for our schools. Indeed there's no reason a similar arrangement could not be put in place for the providers of other goods and services such as cleaning and stationery.

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