Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)

As for this question, my party colleague, Deputy Crowe, raised this issue with the Minister more than a year ago. The Minister made a commitment to consider implementing measures that would help to alleviate the burden on hard-pressed parents who are obliged to pay for school uniforms. While this may be stating the obvious, a growing number of families are struggling to pay for even the most essential items and the start of a new school term can be a very difficult time. A survey carried out last year by the Irish League of Credit Unions found that on average, €400 will be spent annually on each individual child attending school. It is a serious amount of money that increases further when combined with additional expenses, such as paying for books and being obliged to make the so-called voluntary contributions to school funds. Many parents are finding it increasingly difficult to meet the rising costs of sending a child to school.

I understand that when this issue was raised at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education, the Minister agreed to consider introducing a number of initiatives, including standardising the design and colours of uniforms and providing an option for parents to sew on the school crests. These are relatively simple but highly practical measures that would allow families the opportunity to shop around for better deals and not to be forced to rely on a select number of retail outlets, which often charge outrageous prices for uniforms. As the end of the current school term approaches, can the Minister provide an assurance that the Department will implement the type of cost saving measures that can ease some of the financial burdens faced by parents when sending their children to school? More must be done than has been the case heretofore. I acknowledge there are areas of overlap between the Departments of Social Protection and Education and Skills and traditionally, the approach has been to leave it up to each local school to do its own thing. However, leadership is required in this regard and the Minister is the person to provide it. An indication from the Minister that this would be welcomed by the Department of Education and Skills would make a big difference and perhaps would prompt schools to introduce this simple but highly cost-effective measure.

I also encourage the Department of Education and Skills to promote a policy that would encourage parents to pass on their school uniforms, which often must be replaced annually, as children quickly outgrow them. Such uniforms could be re-used by other children at a fraction of the cost of being discarded automatically. When one considers that on average, it costs €470 for a second level student and €320 for a child attending primary school, everything possible must be done to reduce the cost of clothing a child in a school uniform. Charities such as the Society of St. Vincent de Paul are doing their level best to meet these rocketing costs and the Government must do likewise. I urge the Minister to do all within his power to introduce these measures that can help alleviate the cost to parents.

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