Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

On the Government’s back-to-school package announced this evening, I believe the Government would have closed up shop for the summer after the recess without any package whatsoever had it not been for the pressure it was put under by the Opposition in this House and, in particular and most importantly, by ordinary people the length and breadth of this country who have made their views known on these issues.

I welcome the increase on the back-to-school allowance, as will many hard-pressed households but its still does not go far enough. For starters, a family with an income of €621 per week will not benefit from the change to the back-to-school allowance. That income is not a great deal of money. It is less than the average industrial wage. These families, and a significant number of others who do not benefit from this scheme, need to be included in it. If it costs €1,200 to send a child to primary school and €1,500 to send a child to secondary school, a 10% increase in costs this summer will amount to more than €100 per child and families will still be worse off, even with the increase in the allowance.

According to press reports tonight, €47 million is being spent on this package. It would take five times that amount to make schoolbooks 100% free and eliminate the need for any voluntary contributions. That is what should be done. It is far from impossible. In Belgium, schoolbooks and materials are 100% free for primary and secondary school students alike. In France, schoolbooks are 100% free for both. In neither country were these changes given to the people free gratis and for nothing by a kind establishment. In both countries, it was working class people who fought for and campaigned for the implementation of those changes. What we are saying is that we have to step up the pressure from below for change in this country. People have forced some positive change from the Government on education costs tonight. Now we need to step up the pressure on energy costs, food prices and the entire cost-of-living crisis in this country. It is the squeaky door that gets the grease. The Government is under pressure as has been shown this evening. That pressure needs to be doubled, trebled and quadrupled in the weeks and months ahead.

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