Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

This is smart, fair and deeply necessary legislation that puts families first. For too long, the cost of school uniforms has placed an unfair burden on parents. According to Barnardos, back-to-school costs now average €725 for primary school pupils and €1,100 for secondary school. That is not just a statistic; it is a crisis. Families are dipping into savings, taking out loans and making impossible choices just to send their children to school. The Bill is a practical response to that reality. It requires schools to keep uniforms simple and affordable, allow parents to shop around and not be tied to one expensive supplier, offer second-hand options and show compassion when families are struggling. We must stop punishing families for sending their children to school. The cost of uniforms should never be a barrier to education. The Bill puts fairness first and helps to make school more equal for every child.

We also must discuss voluntary contributions, which are, in fact, anything but voluntary for many families. Despite increased capitation funding, schools are still relying on these contributions to cover basic costs such as classroom materials, IT upgrades and extracurricular activities. Some parents are being asked for anything from €140 up to €550 per child, with 80% saying those requests do not feel optional. Schools, too, are under pressure, with the funding they receive often not stretching far enough. However, we cannot allow that gap to be filled by guilt-tripping of parents. No child should be excluded, embarrassed or disadvantaged because his or family cannot afford a voluntary payment. Capitation rates must be increased further, a code of practice should be introduced for voluntary funds and we must ensure transparency and fairness in how schools communicate with families.

Affordability in education does not stop at uniforms. I have long advocated for better support for apprenticeships and trades. We need to stop talking about trades and start investing in them. Our young people deserve real pathways to skilled work, not just promises. We in Independent Ireland believe in expanding modular training programmes, increasing SOLAS and ETB capacity regionally and offering incentives for completion, including local placement guarantees. This is especially urgent when we consider the cost-of-living crisis and the heartbreaking number of children and parents experiencing homelessness. Education should be a ladder out of poverty, not another rung that is out of reach.

See this speech in context