Undersecretary of Welfare Denies Instructions to Ignore MPs' Requests

The Undersecretary of Social Welfare, Klea Chatzistefanou-Papaellina, has strongly denied instructing ministry officials not to respond to interventions by Members of Parliament (MPs) regarding citizens' requests. The allegations were raised during a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Labour.

According to reports from MPs, there were claims that instructions were given not to respond to MPs' interventions concerning citizens' requests. The Chairman of the Labour Committee, Andreas Kavkalas, and other MPs expressed their concerns about this issue.

Klea Chatzistefanou-Papaellina responded that she had not given such instructions but had requested that an older circular regarding visits to the Welfare Benefits Management Service be observed to protect citizens' personal data. She also stressed that the ministry is always open to cooperation with MPs and citizens.

MPs such as Dimitris Dimitriou and Alexandra Attalidou expressed the need for open communication and prompt responses to citizens' requests, especially in cases of delayed benefits.

The Undersecretary assured that ways to strengthen the team examining appeals and improve communication with citizens would be considered, and reiterated that the ministry's doors are always open.

Regarding the registration of disability organizations in the lobbyist registry, the Undersecretary noted that clarification had been requested from the competent authorities and that she was satisfied with the exemptions made.