Extra community welfare staff needed says Siptu

More community welfare staff are required to help deal with a rise in the numbers of people seeking assistance due to financial difficulties," Siptu warned today.

The trade union has called on the Government to increase the number of community welfare officers available in order to cope better with requests for help from members of the public.

According to the union, applications for medical cards rose 20 per cent between 2007 and 2008 in some regions, while claims for supplementary welfare increased 45 per cent and claims for mortgage assistance were up 70 per cent over the same period.

In addition, mortgage assistance claims have increased by another 12 per cent since Christmas," the union said.

"While the Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin is creating 115 extra posts to meet increased demand for services in her department there is no corresponding increase in the number of Community Welfare Officers because we are governed by the HSE recruitment embargo," said Siptu Health Professionals Branch Organiser Kevin Figgis.

Siptu has urged the Government to make an exception to the embargo in order to provide more community welfare staff.

"The HSE employment embargo does not differentiate or make exceptions to reflect the new realities on the ground. It is a crude instrument that leaves our members attempting to perform the impossiblefor increasingly desperate clients. In some regions cutbacks on budgets, such as a 14.5 per cent reduction in mileage in Kerry, further reduces our members mobility and access to clients," said Mr Figgis.

"This is happening when we are dealing with families and individuals who often do not know how they will pay for food, heat or light, let alone the rent or mortgage. This list is not exhaustive but reflects the important role our members play in communities where their services have never been more in demand, but where staffing levels still reflect the boom years," he added.

Siptu is demanding the Community Welfare service be fully resourced to meet the crisis and has called for staff to be fast-tracked into critical areas.

"Unless we receive extra resources, as a matter of urgency, many avoidable personal tragedies will occur. It is the least the Government must do to mitigate a crisis for which it is primarily responsible," said Mr Figgis.