Figures released by the HSE demonstrate that claims made by Fine Gael in County Wicklow regarding the back to school clothing and footwear scheme are without foundation.

In a press statement issued locally, Fine Gael claimed that “one in five of Wicklow families eligible for the allowance had not received payments”.

Data supplied by the HSE make it clear that there was no foundation in the Fine Gael claims.  The party was in effect fiddling the figures.

The HSE has also claimed that the Fine Gael spokesperson who made the claims about families in Wicklow not receiving payments had not in fact made contact with them to check the figures.

In figures issued on the 1st September the HSE shows that 58,011 valid claims were registered.  49,757 were paid as of that date.  Total payments amounted to just under €23.3m.

On the 1st September the HSE had 869 claim forms outstanding for the Wicklow /Dublin /Kildare region.  The agency says that the turnaround time on valid applications was 3 to 4 days.

“This latest episode demonstrates, once again, that Fine Gael are so desperate to make political headway that they are willing to deliberately distort information which is available to any public representative.  It is reprehensible that a political party should seek to cause concern amongst parents at a time of particular pressure in the school year.  Fine Gael should issue an apology for its attempts to deliberately mislead the public” Minister Roche said.