Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)

I thank Sinn Féin for putting this Bill forward. The Labour Party is very happy to support it. For many years, the Labour Party has championed the serious effect that back-to-school costs are placing on families across the country and the serious need to implement concrete support measures. Every family is affected by this, not just the chosen few. However, we stand and debate another topic that has a significant effect on our most vulnerable people in our society. This year's budget is another missed opportunity to show real ambition for Ireland's teachers, children and school communities. It is not enough to make token gestures while ignoring the major issues at the heart of our education system. This is one of those major issues. We should not be in a situation where parents are forced to take out loans, apply for supplementary welfare allowance or for their children to go without. The reality is this is what is happening. These families do not want their sympathy or empathy; they want fair and transparent access to everything that others in our society have.

This Bill leads towards the very basic things that children in this country should have access to - school uniforms. I recognise the role and the pride that schools take in their school uniforms. They are part and parcel of the history and of the fabric of each and every school community. Every parent wants to see their child, no matter how young or old, in their school uniform. I think of my own grandmother's house. There are pictures of all of her children and grandchildren on her wall. Apart from only a few, nearly every picture shows each child in their school uniform.

This is no coincidence. The school uniform is an essential element of school life and has been for many generations in this country. However, with this, we must be progressive in our views on school uniforms. In 2017, the Department of education issued guidelines to schools to reduce uniform costs by encouraging the use of generic uniforms with sew-on crests. Implementation, however, has been inconsistent, with many schools insisting on expensive and branded uniforms. When schools mandate crested or branded items of uniform from exclusive suppliers, costs increase further, thereby undermining the principle of equitable access to education. That is the fundamental issue. We talk about education being the great leveller. How can that be if mothers or fathers cannot afford to go out and purchase a branded jumper or shirt for their children? Where is the equity in that? Where does the great leveller come in there? It does not.

We must see a culture change back to second-hand uniforms. That will only be made possible by interventions from the Government. Many people will tell you that it was once the norm. Pieces of uniform, be they school ties or jumpers, were passed down a generation. Unfortunately, it does not happen any more. We must see that culture change.

The back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance is a payment to help families with the cost of school uniforms and shoes. However, the payment is not universal but is means-tested. I speak for all families when speaking on this topic. No family should be put before a means test to access a payment to help with the very basic, in this instance school uniforms and shoes. In the Labour Party mission is the provision of an inclusive and genuinely free-of-charge system of State-run education. To be totally frank, we can say we created free primary and second level education in this country all we want, but when you step back and analyse it, have we actually? We still have voluntary contributions that are not that voluntary. We have exorbitant school uniform costs. Schools now ask children to have €500 laptops and tablet devices. Many schools are begging parents to partake in fundraisers every year, placing another burden on parents. However, this is not the school's fault because it is often the case that these fundraisers go towards funding for essential day-to-day running costs, new school equipment or even jerseys for their sports teams.

I welcome recent increases in primary school capitation grants and the roll-out of the school meals programme. However, as I said, if you take one step away and analyse this free primary and second level education system, nobody here can say it is free. Education is our greatest tool for creating a more equal and prosperous Ireland and costs should not be a barrier to any child reaching his or her potential. We must ensure that every child has a fair start and we must cut costs for parents by making education genuinely free. That includes the costs I mentioned previously, including the universal back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance and a ban on voluntary contributions. We must also continue working towards increasing our capitation grants not just at primary level but also at post-primary level.

Parents are doing everything they can to give their children the best start in life but they are being failed by a system that continues, as I said, to demand voluntary contributions, to charge for uniforms and exam papers and, increasingly, as has been mentioned, to require expensive digital devices, such as tablets and iPads. This is not free education. Making the clothing and footwear allowance universal would come at a cost of €250 million to the State. It would include €260 for four- to 11-year-olds and €385 for those aged between 12 and 22 years.

Issues such as these are the fundamental issues that create a stigma within our schools. We must ensure we reduce any cause, or get rid of any cause or possible cause, of bullying within any of our school environments. However, we must be real with ourselves. We have all been in schools. The children without are often the ones targeted. School uniforms should not be another target placed on a child's back.

As was mentioned previously, data from the Irish League of Credit Unions revealed in August that parents are now spending over €1,450 per primary pupil and €1,560 for those in secondary school. One in three families are being forced into debt to cope with the financial burden. It is absolutely unacceptable that 35% of parents say they have had to deny their child at least one essential item. This is not just about cost. It is about fairness and dignity for children. No child should be left behind because their family cannot afford the basics.

Along with this, there are other clear actions that the Government could introduce. We could permanently abolish exam fees and we could make school transport free for everyone with a €27 million investment. We could ban voluntary contributions and increase capitation grants by a further 20%. We could also ensure that home economics students get the same ingredients support that exists for woodwork and metalwork. Education should be a right, not a burden. The Labour Party's proposals are constantly practical, costed and achievable.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul's regional co-ordinator in Cork, Mr. Cormac O'Sullivan, said that back-to-school costs season is very busy for them. He said:

We’ve seen an increase in calls in the last [number of weeks], and it’s only going to get busier now as we get through August. SVP has been advocating for the last 15 years for free schoolbooks, so it’s great that this year both secondary and primary schools are both receiving free books. However, we're seeing an increase in people looking for help to buy technology, laptops and tablets. The books are free but now many schools are expecting students to have devices, which is quite a big expense for parents. It's not mandatory to have them, but there's an expectance there, and kids don't want to be the only one in a class without one. We've also seen an increase in people looking for help to buy uniforms. The back-to-school allowance is there, but it's not enough to cover everything. Those are the two main expenses, but SVP is conscious that the school year doesn't stop in September. There are costs associated throughout the year, and we'll get a lot of calls for assistance on those too.

Those additional costs include voluntary contributions and school trips. Mr. O'Sullivan went on to say:

For the [transition year] students, there's big pressure on parents to be able to fund overseas trips. We're asking schools to put in place a suitable alternative for people who just can't afford that.

Barnardos in August published the results of its back-to-school survey, which showed that 50% of primary and 60% of secondary school parents were worried about meeting costs this year. Some 27% of secondary and 14% of primary school parents across Ireland said they have used savings to meet back-to-school costs, while 15% of secondary and 8% of primary school parents said that they have taken a loan out or borrowed from family or friends.

The Zurich cost of education 2025 survey, based on information from 1,900 respondents, put the estimated cost of sending a child to primary school at €1,442, an increase of €30 on last year's report, and a lifetime cost of €12,920. That is our free education system.

In August, I read about back-to-school costs for one parent, Ms Claire O'Rourke, who lives in Glasnevin in Dublin. I read about her in The Irish Times. She came up with a figure of about €800 per month for four children. That figure applies every month during the school year. In her article, she included that one of her daughters' schools favoured iPads over schoolbooks. They had to be bought from a particular supplier at a cost of €604. When speaking about school uniforms, she referenced the new PE kit the school has introduced. It cost €117.50 for one child. She went on to speak about exam fees, extracurricular activities, voluntary contributions, school transport and school lunches. These are all what we would consider basic and part and parcel of free education.

Every year, parents contact public representatives about the costs associated with going back to school. One parent told me in August that they would not pay gas or electricity bills in August but would borrow, take out a loan and use instalments to get as much as they can for back-to-school items. They said they would go into debt until March the following year before it was all paid back and the situation would repeat again in August. They said they are worried about whether they can keep it up, year after year.

These are real-life examples. They are particular examples from associations such as Barnardos and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which are constantly advocating for and meeting families who are coming to them for help. No family should be going into debt, skipping meals or turning off the heating or lighting to cover basic needs such as school uniforms. No child should have to go through the plight of not knowing whether they will have every piece of school uniform every year. I am extremely disappointed. I would normally work with the Department on this, but I am extremely disappointed that the Department has not taken this Bill on board. It is legislation we could all have worked on together. It is disappointing. For the end of my speech, I have written, "I urge you to support this motion." However, there is no point in saying that now because the disappointment is there now. It is felt in the pocket of the people who have to pay for their children to go back to school every year.

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