Meath people wait 13 weeks for MABS appointment

People in Meath face the second longest wait in the country for a first appointment with the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) with the average waiting time currently at more than 13 weeks in the county.
A total of 117 people in Meath are currently waiting for their first appointment with the service and the average wait for a first appointment is now 13.6 weeks.
Meath has the second longest wait in the country, with only Donegal North having a longer wait at 20.2 weeks before people can get a first appointment with MABS.
The figures on waiting times around the country for the MABS service were revealed following a parliamentary question by Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty TD, yesterday.
Responding to the figures, Sinn Fein spokesperson in Meath East, Darren O’Rourke, described the waiting times revealed to the party as “shocking”.
He said: “It’s hard to imagine what someone, who is in such a desperate state, must feel when they hear that’s how long they’ll be waiting for an appointment. While the state-wide average wait for a first appointment is 4.4 weeks, this varies wildly, with some counties experiencing inordinate delays. No less than 13 MABS services have a waiting time of more than four weeks.
“When people make up their mind to approach MABS they are more often than not in a desperate place. For most, they’ve gone beyond accessing self-help guidelines on the web or using a phone service. They need to sit down with someone who will thoughtfully and patiently explain the situation to them and help them process their options.
“MABS do tremendous work. It is absolutely obvious from the extreme waiting times in Meath that the service is either not being funded or staffed to the levels needed. The programme for government promised to strengthen MABS but clearly this has not materialised. The minister needs to examine this situation immediately and ensure the service is operating efficiently in all parts of the state.”