Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I realise that the Minister has to go, so I am glad that she is still here for my contribution. I thank Sinn Féin for tabling this motion. The debate we are having is very important, because it impacts on so many families all across the country. It is very timely because it is at this point that schoolbags, emails and apps are being opened and parents are seeing the full extent of the costs that are coming down the road towards them. It can be a very stressful time when children are finishing school and working parents are wondering how they are going to manage to entertain them over the summer, keep them busy, and get childminders. At the same time, all these parents know that there are large bills essentially waiting to be paid as well. It is incredibly stressful.

This is a very important issue for constituents of mine in Wicklow, as it is for people across the country. I put a call out to parents to ask for their opinions and thoughts on the issue in recent days and I had quite a number of responses. One parent in Wicklow, who is reliant on social welfare payments, has to find €600 for an iPad, which is an incredible amount of money for that person. Parents are facing hundreds of euro in uniform costs. As a parent of two teenage boys, I know how quickly they get through them and how costly they are. We also have parents who, despite having access to a schoolbook rental scheme, still find themselves paying €1,000 for additional costs such as the iPad. The costs go way beyond books.

I understand that schools are in a very difficult position as well. Years of underfunding schools have put them in a position where they rely on parents far too much to meet the gap in their revenues. Schools are getting very innovative as well in finding ways of getting money and asking for money. I agree with the previous speaker who said voluntary contributions should be banned. Even if they are deemed voluntary, there is stress involved in having that request come into an inbox or app all the time. It will come in multiple times. Each time parents see a request for a voluntary contribution come in, if they know they cannot pay it, that puts stress on them and it makes them feel guilty. It makes them think they are not providing for their child and there is something they are not doing right. Voluntary contributions must be banned.

We also see administrative fees from schools in addition to voluntary contributions and school reimbursement fees. Lots of different terminology is being bandied about. Schools ask for non-voluntary amounts of money for art and craft materials, photocopying, insurance and stationery. All those fees are still being asked of parents, so even aside from the voluntary contributions, there is still a large cost incurred.

I acknowledge that the Minister is attempting to deal with the costs of primary schools, but I do not think it is enough. I do not think we will see the reduction parents need to see. Indeed, it is not just in primary education, because we also have incredible costs at secondary level as well, and at third level. Everybody, regardless of background or means, should get the best education possible. Education is the single greatest driver of opportunity, quality of life, social equality and economic growth. As a small country in an increasingly globalised and competitive world, Ireland's education system can be our greatest competitive advantage. However, there are real financial barriers to accessing education in Ireland at all levels, from early education, through primary, secondary, third level and at PhD level. According to research conducted by Zurich insurance company, parents with children in primary education pay approximately €1,500 a year, the cost for secondary schoolchildren is approximately €2,800 per year and college education costs approximately €15,000 per year.

The Minister is acting to mitigate some of the costs for primary school students with the new funding for the school book scheme, but we all know – including teachers and principals - that this initiative will not cover all the costs. There are still uniforms, equipment, school trips, events and the so-called voluntary contributions to be paid. I ask the Minister to act now. We have never been as wealthy a country as we are now. There is no financial reason at all this Government cannot provide full and free access to education. I believe it is purely political will and an indication of what the Government prioritises and values. This Government should prioritise education because it is the best way to create an equal, productive and happy country and future for us.

So many parents at the moment are really struggling. The cost-of-living crisis and increases are putting huge pressures on people. I find it very difficult when we have debates and discussions about the budget and what the Government is going to do. Fine Gael in particular is talking about giving tax cuts to the cohort of people whom it believes votes for them. What we need to see is that money pooled and then invested in our education system. That is the best use of that money.

Voters must start thinking of these education costs as a tax the Government has imposed. Everyone is entitled to education. The State recognises that. Everyone should have the same access and opportunities to get an education, but if people have to pay to access education, that is a tax. What the Social Democrats and I would like to see is that rather than talk about tax cuts that will only benefit a small cohort of people, the money the country has accrued is put back into education. It should be put back into society and the future growth of our country. The money must be fairly distributed across every child and family in this country. That is a much better way of dealing with it, rather than having a system whereby parents have to pay to access the most fundamental services and provision of the State, namely, education.

It is not just a case of me standing up here talking about it: principals recognise it and trade unions recognise it. Everyone wants to see greater investment in the education system because we know that the payback from that is tenfold or even a hundredfold. If the Minister is really trying to do something visionary, that is what she should do: actually make education free so that every parent and every child has an opportunity to become the best version of themselves, and to do it in an education system that supports them and does not put pressure on them from a financial perspective.

When we come to the budget negotiations, I know the Minister will have to fight hard to get money for her Department, but I ask her to put pressure on to get the money that we have made as a country – that wealth – put back into our children, because that is how we will keep our country growing. It is how we will maintain our wealth and economy, but it is also how we will create a fair and equal society.

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