Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tá ceisteanna s'agamsa dírithe ar Chaoimhín Ó hEaghra agus baineann siad le gaelscoileanna. An bhfuil costais sa bhreis ar ghaelscoileanna, anuas ar ghnáth chostais ar scoileanna Béarla. Tagann téacsleabhair níos déanaí agus bíonn an cuma air go mbíonn siad níos daoire do thuismitheoirí. Chomh maith leis sin, an bhfuil costais taistil níos mó? I mo chás féin, mar shampla, toisc nach raibh mo pháistí ag freastail ar an scoil Béarla a bhí thíos an bóthar uainn bhí orainn íoc as bus difriúil seachas an ceann a bhí ar fáil ar an phas a bhí ag teacht ón Roinn. An bhfuil cúrsaí mar an gcéanna timpeall na tíre?

Bhíodh fíric ann uair amháin go raibh céatadán níos mó de sheomraí ranga réamhdhéanta ins na gaelscoileanna ná mar ba ghnách i scoileanna eile. Bíonn costais bhreise ag baint le seomraí réamhdhéanta chun iad a choimeád téite.

The issue of uniforms was raised. I have two sons, and each goes to a different secondary school, but it cost €60 for a jumper with a badge.

For a green or blue jumper with a badge stuck on, that is a living disgrace. I urge all of the organisations representing schools to bulk buy badges and give them out at a nominal price or free in order that parents can sew them on themselves. It happened 40 years ago so why can a simple thing like that not be done in this crisis? It is great to hear every organisation coming up with almost the same solutions but either the boards of management or the Department are not getting the message. If every group here encourages the schools they represent to look at the book rental scheme or uniforms, why is this still happening? This has nothing to do with the downturn. It should not have happened during the boom either.

Dr. Maria Griffin mentioned the bulk purchase of insurance and the grouping of schools together. Are all of the school organisations looking at that? It could be done for stationery, schoolbooks and electricity. The schools could negotiate a better discount. The logical proposal is for schools to bulk purchase books. If that happens, the publishers can be forced to give a greater discount.

The prices being charged for books in this day and age are a living disgrace. Textbooks, which are being produced and printed for €5, are being sold to parents for €40. It is not that expensive to print books in Ireland and many companies would love the contracts to produce these books for less. Something must be done to force these companies that are ripping off parents to lower prices. Fr. Connell is correct that there are e-books, but the majority of schools do not have access to them. There was a pilot in St. Louise's in Ballyfermot, however, and it was much easier. Every child who took part in the pilot scheme gained from it.

If people are considering bulk buying, they could do the same for schoolbags, which are also €40 for a bag that will hold the necessary books. I have two children in secondary school and one in primary school and I know this myself. It is an additional cost. I am lucky that I have an income and my wife is also working. People who are not working, however, cannot cover these expenses with the back to school grant when a school jumper costs €60 and a schoolbag €40.

The VAT proposal is a positive idea and should be pursued by the committee with the Minister for Finance. There should be a mechanism for schools to claim a rebate on water charges as well. There is an exemption and that was one of the rules, but there is nothing to prevent the State from granting a rebate. That alone would benefit everyone.