Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his detailed response. I welcome the acknowledgement that back-to-school costs is an issue but I do not agree with his approach to link it to school capitation. I think that is very unfair. Schools have managed to do more with less money and this is not the right approach. I am still unclear as to how the Department will implement this proposal. Will schools be expected to report to the Department on an annual basis in respect of school costs? How will the Department collect data on school costs on an annual basis? In my view, the type of approach being taken will only create problems. What happens in cases where schools do not have the resources to implement a school book rental scheme, for example, due to cuts in middle management posts? Will these schools be penalised further?

Will the Minister accept that additional resources need to be provided to schools to enable them to meet the aspiration of a truly free education system and will he implement the full recommendations of the Oireachtas joint committee report on tackling back-to-school costs, which was published in 2013 and remains sitting on a shelf? Can the Minister set out a timeframe for the implementation of the Oireachtas report on tackling back-to-school costs?

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