Ray Butler (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I echo the sentiments of my learned friend across the Chamber about the Minister for Education and Skills coming to the House, especially with families coping with children going back to school soon. I was on the education committee from 2011 to 2016 and we produced a report on school donations from parents with children going back to school, which is a huge issue. Certain schools say that if parents do not give €100 or €150, the student will not get a locker key or will not be allowed to do arts or computer studies. What happens then is that we have bullying in schools. Children are left with their schoolbags on their backs for the day because they do not have a locker key. The Department of Education and Skills has said that this should not be happening and that it is totally wrong.

I want the Minister to come to the House to tell us that he will write to schools to tell them that this practice is outdated and should be done away with. I have no problem with any school fundraising if it needs something. That is not a problem at all. However, at a time when children are going back to school, when parents with three or four children have already bought school books and uniforms, it is an absolute disgrace that the school is looking for €100 or €150 extra per head. One particular school now sends parents a statement. If a parent is paying say €25 or €50 each month, the school sends out a statement on the donation. We need to get rid of this practice. It is draconian and it leads to bullying in schools.

I want the Minister to come to the House and to write to all the schools in the country engaged in this practice. I know for a fact that in certain schools, there are separate accounts into which this money goes. It is kept in separate accounts. I asked this question at the education committee. Do the Minister and the Department know what is in these accounts and where this money goes? There is one account for the school and another account for fundraising. Let us have the Minister come to the House to explain the whole situation. I want this practice to stop.