Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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24. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the practice of voluntary contributions in schools; whether her Department has collected data on the number of schools that currently rely on this practice; if she considers voluntary contributions to be a fair approach, particularly in the context of providing equal access to education; and the specific steps her Department has taken to reduce or eliminate this practice in schools. [44828/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Voluntary contributions can be requested by schools; however it must be made absolutely clear to parents that there is no requirement to pay, and that, in making a contribution, they are doing so of their own choice, and there is no compulsion to pay.

Section 64 of the Education (Admissions to schools) Act 2018, which was commenced in 2018, explicitly prohibits the charging of admission and enrolment fees for admission to or for continued enrolment in a school, with some exceptions such as boarding or fee-charging schools.

The Government believes that a rise in the cost of living should never be a barrier to education. As part of the capitation package in Budget 2025 I am pleased to have secured over €30 million as a permanent increase in capitation funding to assist schools now and longer term with increased day-to-day running costs. This represents an increase of approximately 12% on current standard rates and enhanced rates. This increase is on top of the approximately 9.2% increase from last year’s budget. Enhanced rates will also be paid in respect of pupils with special educational needs and Traveller pupils.

In addition to these grants, €45 million in cost-of-living supports will issue in 2024, to support all recognised primary schools in the free education scheme. This additional funding announced in Budget 2025 is designed to assist schools with increased day-to-day running costs such as heating and electricity. Schools should also ensure that they are availing of the available OGP procurement frameworks and getting best value for money for all school expenditure.

In 2024, my Department invested over €115 million in funding in primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme to implement the free Primary and Junior Cycle Schoolbooks Schemes. In Budget 2025, I secured a further €51 million to extend the Primary and Junior Cycle Schoolbook Scheme to include the provision of free books to students in senior cycle, including Transition year students, in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme.

The significant investment in this ground-breaking scheme ensures that the burden of back-to-school costs on parents is greatly reduced and that all children and young people are provided with the same access to books and resources.

Under the schoolbook schemes, parents must not be asked to purchase or to make any financial contribution to the school towards the cost of schoolbooks, workbooks or copybooks at primary level and schoolbooks and core classroom resources at post-primary level.