Ms Marcella Stakem:

The SVP welcomes the opportunity to make a presentation to the committee. SVP sees access to education as a critical enabler out of social exclusion and poverty. In the week before the schools reopened, the society took 250 to 300 calls per day from worried parents regarding school costs. The following case study highlights the impact school costs have on parents, children and young people: "My daughter is starting secondary school in September and the cost is over €1,000 as she needs an iPad. I do not know how I am going to meet this cost as I am really struggling. I do not want her to feel different when she starts secondary school as she was bullied in the past."

SVP is proposing a number of actions that would reduce the costs of primary and secondary school for parents. The first is to make schoolbooks free for all non-fee paying primary and secondary schools. To begin with, we recommend a €20 million investment in budget 2020 to provide free books for all primary school children. The second is to end the voluntary contribution system for parents and begin that by restoring the capitation grant rate to 2010 levels in budget 2020. Over the medium term, we request that the Department carry out an independent assessment of the adequacy of the capitation rate and incrementally increase funding in order that all children have access to quality, free primary and secondary education.

Our members have noted an increase in requests from parents where the use and purchase of digital devices is mandatory. In most cases, there is no financial support in place to help parents meet the costs of equipment and software, which can range from €500 to €800. SVP recommends that the Department of Education and Skills establish a working group to examine the use of digital devices in schools, taking into account the cost impact on parents.

SVP published a research report last year with the title, Stories of Struggle. It highlights the reality experienced by households with children the income of which falls below that required for a minimum essential standard of living. In SVP members' experience, as detailed in the research, the families we assist do not want to go to moneylenders to access loans but they have no alternative and cite the high cost of education.

The underinvestment in the education system is impacting on the most vulnerable in society. If children and young people do not have the resources they require, such as school books and access to digital devices, it hinders their future in education. As a result, it is imperative that we now take long-term measures to ensure that all children have access to proper and free education so that they can participate in school and secure educational opportunities that are on offer regardless of their parents' economic status.