Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the extension of the free books scheme to leaving certificate level in the free education system.

There has been talk from parents recently about the cost of uniforms. It is my understanding that a circular was published a number of years ago, which stated there should be generic uniforms on which logos could be ironed and so on. How is that being managed? If schools are still telling parents to get uniforms in certain places, which is expensive, that comes at a cost to parents. We want education to be free, particularly at primary level but also at secondary level where some uniforms can be expensive. I am wondering how that will be managed. While the extension to the free books scheme is fantastic, I am worried about the cost of uniforms.

What level does the capitation grant need to reach in order that voluntary contributions for parents can be eradicated altogether? While I know such contributions are voluntary, anecdotally, they are not really voluntary in some cases. That is not great. How can we get rid of the need for schools to be relying on parents giving that voluntary contribution or having to fundraise and so forth to provide the basics of school life? How far off are we in that regard? I will stop talking now because I want to give the Minister an opportunity to answer.