Call for Submissions: Managing Back to School Costs

The Vice-Chair of the Education and Social Protection Committee, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD, in conjunction with the Members of the Joint Committee, is compiling a Report on the prohibitive costs for parents sending their children to primary and secondary school.

The Report is focusing on the areas of books, school uniforms and voluntary contributions, and hearings have already taken place at committee level.

Submissions are now invited from members of the public who have an interest in this area as to how this issue may be effectively addressed.

Deputy Ó Ríordáin says: "A recent survey of parents, carried out on behalf of the National Consumer Agency, estimates back to school costs at €487 for primary school children and €620 for those attending secondary school. Almost 80 percent of parents are more concerned about the costs this year than they were last year.

“At a time when families are increasingly squeezed, our Committee is intent on exploring all options to minimise back to school costs. Submissions received from the public will afford the Committee an opportunity to assess any practical steps that can be taken to reduce the cost of equipping children for school at primary and secondary levels.”

The deadline for receipt of submissions is Friday 15 March 2013

Please send your submission, preferably by email, to esp@oireachtas.ie.

You can also send your submission by post to:

The Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection,
Houses of the Oireachtas
Kildare House,
Kildare Street, 
Dublin 2

View Guidelines for making a submission.

Further information is available from the Office of Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD, Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Education & Social Protection:

Dáil Éireann  - 01 618 3209  / Constituency Office -  01 857 4020