Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)

People across the State have faced successive years of profound financial hardship. In recent years, families have faced significant increases in the cost of the weekly shop, excessive increases in the costs of necessary utilities such as electricity and gas, increases in rent, and – every August – the high cost of returning children to school, with school uniforms being one of the biggest costs. The cost of a uniform is not just once off; it is yearly for most families. Children, particularly teenagers, grow out of their uniforms each summer, requiring further investment by parents.

The Irish League of Credit Unions has noted that compared to 2024, costs have increased by €364 for primary students and €169 for secondary students. Generally, students wear the uniform four days a week and a school-labelled tracksuit once a week, so parents must buy a tracksuit, at least two school jumpers, two school shirts and two pairs of pants or skirts.

A constituent I spoke to who has one child in secondary school in Limerick outlined the amount he had to spend on school uniforms this August. The school opted this year to redesign the school tracksuit, adding more cost for parents. The father I spoke to advised that he had purchased two school uniforms at €31 each and one school tie at €8. He opted to purchase school shirts and grey trousers but not from the recommended provider. He paid €50 for a school tracksuit top and an additional €36 for the school-labelled tracksuit pants. He advised he spent nearly €200 on school attire this year. He remarked that he was fortunate to have only one child in the school at the moment, but that child is a growing teenaged boy, so next year, if this Bill is not introduced, the family will face the same costs again. With the cost of everything in the State spiralling out of control, this is just not sustainable for working families anymore. Parents face high uniform costs and not long after their children return to school, they face the so-called voluntary contribution that schools seek. I do not blame the schools for this; they are cash-strapped themselves.

I was also contacted this morning by a parent of a child who attends primary school in Sixmilebridge, County Clare. The school, she advised, is holding a fundraiser not for anything new and shiny but just to afford day-to-day costs. Parents are worried. Fifty percent of them say they are worried about back-to-school costs, with many relying on loans or savings to purchase essentials. Our Bill provides that only iron-on or sewn-on crests should be required for school attire and that the monopoly in the supply of school uniforms should be ended, allowing parents to purchase required clothing from an expanded number of clothes shops.

The Government has failed to address the funding crisis across schools. It did not increase the capitation grant by €75, as recommended by unions and other stakeholders, but by just €50. The burden falls on cash-strapped parents to make up the difference. I ask all Members to support our Bill and provide some alleviation to those families struggling to meet ever-rising school costs.

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