Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)

Every year, families across the State face a financial cliff when the school term begins. Parents are being forced into debt. They are dipping into savings and turning to credit unions just to send their children to school. As we have just heard, they are going to money lenders, unscrupulous ones at that, and getting themselves into huge unsustainable debts. One of the biggest drivers of these costs is school uniforms. In Waterford, parents are telling me the same story each August and September. They are stretched to breaking point. In many schools, families have no real choice when it comes to uniforms. Branded or crested clothing is required, extended even to PE wear and jackets. That includes primary school, driving costs up year after year. This Bill is about tackling that head on. The Bill will place an obligation on the Minister for education to make regulations ensuring every school has an affordable uniform policy, one that recognises the financial pressures facing families. It is about fairness, choice and common sense.

The Irish League of Credit Unions has found that the total back-to-school spend this year rose by €360 for primary, and €170 for secondary students. More than half of parents have gone into debt to meet these costs. It is not just uniforms; it is books, digital devices, transport and the voluntary contributions that are anything but voluntary. I have spoken to parents in my constituency clinics this year who are paying hundreds of euro for a single digital device because their child's school has moved away from textbooks. Families with two or three children simply cannot keep up. Others are paying for fuel or taxis because they are excluded from the school transport scheme - a scheme that is supposed to ensure equal access to education but instead leaves rural families in particular footing the bill for long commutes.

For families of children with disabilities or additional educational needs, these costs are multiplied. Between therapy appointments, sensory equipment and specialist materials, they are already carrying a heavier load. School costs should never add to that burden. All of this is happening against the backdrop of a deepening cost-of-living crisis. Groceries, rent, energy, fuel - everything is going up, while wages and supports fail to keep pace. Families are being pushed to the limit and the Government's response has been piecemeal and reactive. It is the same story in every part of the State. People are working hard and doing their best but are struggling to stay afloat.

Schools are feeling that same pressure. They are being asked to do more with less, to fundraise for basic materials, to rely on voluntary contributions to keep the lights on, to keep toilet paper in the toilets because the so-called increases in capitation funding announced in budget 2026 will not take effect until January. Teachers and principals have been very clear. They have been clear with us, and I have no doubt they have been clear with the Government. They need proper funding now, not next year. Tonight's Bill is a modest but meaningful step. It will not solve every problem, but it will make a real difference to families and parents who are struggling. It would ensure schools adopt uniform policies that are affordable and accessible, policies that treat parents with fairness and respect. Families in Waterford and across the State do not need a Government press release about free education. What they need are decisions that actually lower costs, take the pressure off the kitchen table and make schooling genuinely affordable for all families. The Minister of State indicated the Government will not be supporting this Bill, but supporting it would be a really good place to start.

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