Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak to the motion, which focuses on the need for the Government to cut back-to-school costs. I commend my party colleagues, Deputies Clarke and Mairéad Farrell, on their work in bringing this forward.

The letters, emails and texts requesting the purchase of books and uniforms have already been sent by schools, in addition to schools seeking voluntary contributions from families that are anything but voluntary. Numerous families I have spoken to feel this is a huge burden. It is a burden every year but, particularly with the current cost-of-living crisis, they feel it has now become unbearable. Many families are being forced to take out loans or, indeed, to go to charities to cover back-to-school costs. Schools should not feel the need to have to fundraise or ask for voluntary contributions. The Government needs to fund the education system adequately to cover basic costs. Schools are put in this position because of the Government's failure to invest.

Schoolbooks remain probably the most expensive item for parents as regards annual back-to-school costs. Something has to be done to ease that financial burden on parents. The free schoolbooks scheme could and should be expanded to secondary schools in budget 2024. I would like to see that happen. It is very welcome in primary schools this year but it needs to happen in secondary schools as well. Many secondary schools have book rental arrangements in place, which reduce costs quite considerably, but I know of one family that has a first-year student starting school and which has been asked for €300 to cover book rental for the first three years. You might think that is not too bad over a three-year period, but they have to pay it upfront and I am sure it includes a voluntary contribution. Fifth-year students starting a two-year course are being asked for €330. It is a lot of money for parents to come up with, especially where they have more than one student, maybe starting in first year and fifth year, if they have to pay out more than €600 just to see their children starting in school. As a former teacher, I believe something needs to be done about schoolbook publishers excessively revising their textbooks, which forces families and schools to purchase books every few years when it is entirely unnecessary.

Incredibly, the Government is, in effect, increasing third level student fees this September because it has not properly funded third level institutions and is forcing them to raise their student contribution charge. The charge was put in place in the aftermath of the financial crisis as a means for third level institutions to offset Government reductions to their core funding. A pattern is arising, however, where parents and students have to fill the gap left by the Government reduction in core funding to educational institutions. Instead of overseeing an increase in these contributions, the Government needs to put adequate funding in place and commit to phasing out fees over the coming years. Educational institutions must be properly resourced in order that they do not have to rely on contributions of any kind. Education must be genuinely free and accessible to all.

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