Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's update and the two-week processing time are welcome. In September I received a reply to a parliamentary question stating that 95% of applications were taking between five and eight weeks to be processed. I appreciate CWOs are stepping in where they can and where the person in need can access them in the first place, which has become more difficult.

I would argue that few additional needs payments are less urgent as they are payments for an emergency, typically for a one-off need, especially in recent months with the way energy prices and bills have increased. It is important we keep a close eye on the continued processing of additional needs payments, particularly as we are seeing surveys and reports, such as the one issued by Barnardos yesterday, showing growing food poverty which should be a matter of concern for everyone in this House. Clearly, the budget, lump-sum payments and so forth are not enough for many families. We saw that in the survey yesterday. I ask the Minister to keep a close eye on processing. Will she also give an update on putting the payment online?

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