Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To be very clear, section 64 of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 explicitly prohibits the charging of admission and enrolment fees for admission or for continued enrolment in a school. Whatever may be said to parents, they do not have to pay them, and they are voluntary contributions, but I appreciate that many parents do not feel that way and feel under pressure to pay them.

We have increased the capitation grant by 7.5%. I have no doubt the Minister, Deputy Foley, will seek a further increase for next year, but that this of course a matter for the budget. We are bringing in free school books in primary schools from September. I hope that will help parents with the cost of going to school, as well as an increase in the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance paid at the higher rate again this summer.

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