Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As schools throughout the country close their doors for the summer, parents, teachers and students can look forward to a well-earned break and some recovery before the cycle starts again in late August. I salute our primary, post-primary and third level educators for the work and support they have offered our learners over the past academic year. Being an educator is a tough but at the same time, I am sure, a very rewarding job.

As the summer approaches its conclusion, schoolbook lists will be issued, school uniform requirements will be provided and parents will once again be faced with the daunting task of paying for these necessities while struggling with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis we are all involved in. The burden of these costs weighs heavily on parents. According to the Irish League of Credit Unions, 66% of parents say that covering the cost of school is a significant financial burden to them. The Government has made some strides by introducing a free schoolbooks scheme for primary schools but it should and can go further. This scheme needs to be expanded to secondary schools where schoolbook costs are an even more significant expense. A Barnardos report noted that the average cost of schoolbooks for secondary school students is €201. As Deputy Tully said, if parents have more than one child that will obviously be tripled or doubled. If the cost of uniforms, transport and post-school activities is added to this, parents incur a significant financial burden. The Government can alleviate some of these pressures but it needs to act now. It must alleviate the burden of schoolbook costs and supposed voluntary contributions to individual schools for the parents of schoolchildren. These contributions and book requirements hit parents all at once and at the same time. Starting a new term puts a burden on parents of children throughout the State.

The financial cost and pressures do not end when the leaving certificate is completed. If a young adult decides to go to third level, more financial burdens are faced. The student contribution charge is a huge expense and is not means-tested. While it can be reimbursed for some by application to Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, it remains a significant cost. During this oppressive cost-of-living crisis, the Government intends to increase this charge. Workers and families are struggling to pay their housing costs, utility bills and increased grocery costs. It is just not good enough to add a further burden to these families. These planned increases to student contribution charges should be cancelled. These fees should be reduced and ultimately eliminated. Furthermore, in the upcoming budget, the Government should commit to expanding the schoolbooks scheme to secondary schools and to working towards making a free education system genuinely free and easing the pressure on students and parents. Creating a genuinely free education system is achievable. It can be done.

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