Advertisement
Baby Registration Backlog Putt...

News & Sport

Baby Registration Backlog Putting Families On The Brink

Newsroom
Newsroom

05:28 3 Oct 2021


Share this article


Delays of up to three months in registering new-borns is causing a major hindrance for parents seeking child benefits.

 

The cyber attack on the HSE over the summer is being accredited with the huge delay.

 

The registration hold-up is creating further delays for parents accessing services such as free healthcare, passports, social welfare and housing support payments.

 

Karen Kiernan, CEO of One Family, says their helpline is being bombarded by calls from concerned and desperate parents:

 

"Parents who may need to apply for social welfare payments or housing payments, maybe they're not Irish citizens and they need to get visas for their children, all of those things are seriously delayed by not having a birth registered and not having a PPS number.

 

"Because so many things in our state rely on the PPS number, and for vulnerable parents, this really puts them in a difficult position."

 

Karen Kiernan, who's organisation provides support to lone parents, says parents depending on these services should be put to the front of the queue:

 

"There are people who are struggling to have enough money to eat, to have a roof over their head.

 

"It is putting mothers into a really vulnerable positions, so we would like the HSE to prioritise these families above other people and help them get their PPS number as quickly as possible."


Share this article


Read more about

Baby Child Benefits Registration Welfare