Communion and confirmation clothing allowance
Senator O’Brien asks the Leader to investigate reports that clothing assistance for communion and confirmation expenses has been withdrawn.
I ask the Leader to make inquiries with the Minister for Social Protection. It has come to my attention that the clothing grant for children, which is available through community welfare officers and is specifically for clothing children at the time of their first holy communion and confirmation should families not be able to afford that, has been withdrawn and cut completely. I have this on very good authority. The main centre in north Dublin at Swords is not providing any grants and has gone further in informing primary schools to advise parents not to make any applications. The Minister for Social Protection has made no announcement on this and there is an attempt to make the school principals in my area do the Minister's bidding, but they will not do it. I wrote to the Minister last night, but I ask the Leader to seek clarification from the Minister as to whether this grant has been withdrawn effectively. If that is the case it is nothing short of disgraceful. First holy communion and confirmation are very important milestones in children's lives and many parents cannot afford to clothe children appropriately for those days. That grant has been available for years and is now withdrawn. The Minister has made no public announcement on it and she will certainly not get away with school principals doing her dirty work. I ask the Leader to seek clarification from the Minister for Social Protection as to whether that is the case.
I bring to the attention of the House problems with the schools patronage survey, in which areas in north Dublin are partaking. We want parents to give their views - the Minister, Deputy Quinn, has been very vocal on this - on the future make-up of schools in their area. The survey on the website seeks the PPS number, the person's name and the names of his or her children. There is no security on that whatsoever. I could input Maurice Cummins with my PPS number and claim that Terry Leyden is my son.
