The Galway Society of the Saint Vincent De Paul (SVP) has seen a 50% rise in those seeking assistance from the Society in the first three months of this year, a conference of the organisation has been told.
The SVP Galway conference comprising 25 local conferences in Connemara, the city and its outskirts, has reported a 50% surge in demand in the first three months of 2012.
Last year, the charity dealt with around 1,000 families in the months of January, February and March but over the corresponding period in 2012 that has increased by 500 to 1,500 families who are struggling to pay for food, electricity, fuel, mortgages and other bills.
SVP estimates that around 30% of the families looking for help are new and have never before turned to the charity.
In many cases, the families now needing support are the ones who used to contribute to the charity rather than the other way round.
Figures also showed that in all of 2011, SVP supported around 4,000 families in Connemara and the city, which entailed approximately 12,000 visits.
On the evidence of the demand in the first three months of this year, if the trend continues, the numbers will reach 6,000 families and 18,000 visits by the year-end.
Speaking at the conference, SVP Area President Val McNicholas said that one of the reasons for the increase is that employees in the public sector are referring cases to the charity because the state organisations do not have the resources at their disposal.
“Public sector employees like Social Welfare Officers would have dealt with hardship cases in the past, but because of the cutbacks in budgets they are referring families to us because they are no longer in a position to help.”
“The other reason for the surge in demand is that unemployment and Social Welfare cuts are beginning to bite.”