Parents wait two weeks for school grant
PARENTS OF school-going children in County Carlow have to wait up to two weeks to receive a government grant and even those who've received it are struggling to make ends meet.
An unprecedented number of parents have applied to the HSE for the Back To School Allowance across the country and in Carlow, the average waiting time between applying for the grant and actually receiving it is an average of 15 days.
That's in contrast to the shortest waiting time of three to five days in counties Kildare and Wicklow while in County Laois, parents wait an average of five days before they receive the money.
And according to children's charity, Barnardos, parents who do qualify for the grant are still struggling to meet the soaring costs of getting their children kitted out for school.
A spokesperson for the Carlow branch of Barnardos said that parents have asked for their help because they simply don't have enough money to pay for their children's books and uniforms.
The payment for children at primary level is €200 while for older children it's €305. But in a survey carried out by Barnardos, they discovered that the average cost of sending a six-year-old child is €335. Though that figure does include a €75 voluntary contribution, it doesn't include the cost of such essentials as school bags, runners or arts and crafts supplies.
The cost of a ten-year-old entering fourth class was found to be €460, (which includes a €100 voluntary contribution) while a young student starting their first day at post primary level will need about €815 to get kitted out. The Back To School allowance of €305 falls far short of this figure.
