Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 7: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the estimated number of families that will be impacted by the budget cut reducing the back to school clothing and footwear allowance from €305 to €250 for children aged 12 years or more and from €200 to €150 for children aged four years to 11 years; if her attention has been drawn to research published by Bernardos demonstrating that the 2011 allowance levels fell far short of the actual costs; and if she will reverse this cut. [4354/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme provides a one-off payment to eligible families to assist with the cost of uniforms and footwear for children going to school. The survey to which the Deputy refers is a survey of the cost of sending a child to school which is not directly comparable. In 2011, more than 196,000 individuals received a back to school clothing and footwear allowance payment in respect of 384,000 children at a cost of almost €91 million. A means test is applied to the scheme to ensure that limited resources are directed to those in greatest need ensuring maximum value for money.

As a budgetary measure, the allowance payable was reduced from €305 to €250 for children aged from 12 to 22 and from €200 to €150 for children aged from four to 11 years for the 2012 scheme. No payment is being made with regard to children aged two or three years because they do not go to school. Despite these reductions, the current payment rates still show significant increases since 2006 and compare favourably when viewed in the context of clothing and footwear price trends over the same period. It is estimated that in 2012 some 340,000 children will benefit from the scheme at these lower rates.

According to the consumer price index for November 2011, the overall cost of clothing and footwear has fallen by 27.2% since December 2006. Since 2006, payment rates for the back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme have increased by 87% for those under 11 years of age and by 31% for those over 11 years of age.

I consider the back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme to be an important support for parents at a time of particular financial strain. I am satisfied the changes to the scheme in recent years, in particular the scheme improvements relative to the consumer price index trends, are still providing a major boost to meeting the financial costs associated with returning to school.

Although there has been a decrease in the rates of payment for this year, by maintaining the same income limits, which have increased significantly in recent years, I have ensured the back to school clothing and footwear allowance payment is targeted at those most in need of assistance.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister stated this was an important payment in times of financial strain yet her decision in the budget was to cut it. This is a significant cutback as already many families experience a great deal of debt when their children are returning to school. The increase in recent years was to take account of the increase in the cost of getting children to school, and those costs have not dropped.

The Minister stated she was aware of the Barnardos school costs survey. Barnardos' main spokesperson, Fergus Finlay, a member of the Minister's party, has highlighted regularly the financial stress parents are under and this reduction in the back to school allowance will exacerbate that stress. Does the Minister agree with Barnardos that as a result of this cut more families will go into debt this September? Does she agree also that her cuts, including the cut in the back to school allowance, will deepen child poverty for the remainder of this year and into the future? Will she reinstate this payment to the 2011 level in recognition of the increase in day to day costs?

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The country is in a major financial emergency and I was required to find extensive savings in terms of the social protection budget, which I did, but I also ensured that the core rates remained intact which I believed was very important.

Regarding this scheme, the allowance that will be available this year is significant in terms of the needs of a primary or secondary school child. We are now paying it to a very large number of children, 340,000, and we expect to pay it to that number of children this year. The reality is that the cost of clothing in particular has fallen significantly relative to the increases in the payments which were made, particularly in times when there were significant amounts of money to spend. The spending by the Department this year on the back to school clothing and footwear allowance will offer significant assistance to families, particularly families on a social welfare income. The Deputy should bear in mind that families are in receipt of child benefit and if they are on a social welfare income they would be in receipt of qualified child increases also. The support given to children by us in our budgetary process is very significant.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Does the Minister believe the cut will result in a drop in the school completion rates? This measure may discourage some children, particularly those in secondary schools, returning to school or discourage their parents allowing their children return to school. The fact that the Minister is paying this allowance to more people is a reflection of the crisis we are in and our unemployment levels because it is a means tested payment and is not as easy to obtain as other payments.

The Minister might indicate where she got the information that school clothing costs have decreased. To my knowledge they have not dropped in the areas I represent when I shop for school clothing for my own children, and those are not the only costs associated with going to school. While this is a clothing and footwear scheme it often goes beyond that in subsidising books and bus fares.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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In regard to books, it is more than high time that primary schools in particular but secondary schools also had book rental schemes. A very large number of schools have book rental schemes for a modest contribution by parents and significant contributions by the Department of Education and Skills in the case of children who are disadvantaged.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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We agree.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Enormous savings can be effected in that regard but also a huge reduction in the level of concern and stress parents face when their children return to school. I hope I will see the day when every school will have a good quality book rental scheme as is the case in many schools.

Regarding school uniform costs, like the Deputy I have occasion to be involved on behalf of family members in shopping for school uniforms and checking prices. All of the very large department and chain stores give extraordinarily high quality value for money in school clothes. I understand some schools may have more expensive requirements such as crests but if a jumper must have a crest its cost can increase by €25. While we are in this financial emergency a profound argument can be made for schools allowing parents to choose the cheaper chain store options, which are nicely made and very good value for money. That will be a matter for individual school communities and school boards but we could save parents a great deal of stress if we emphasised access to value for money options regarding the annual return to school.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Many of the uniforms need to be changed.