Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
1152. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education the estimated full-year cost of making primary and post-primary education totally free, abolishing all charges including voluntary contributions, providing free school uniforms, books and all other required equipment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41493/22]
View answerThe "estimated full-year cost of making primary and post primary education totally free" is not a figure that can be arrived at, given the discretionary nature of certain aspects of the relationship between schools and parents. Voluntary contributions, for example, can be requested by a school provided it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no compulsion to pay, and that there is no implication that a child's enrolment or continued attendance in a school is in any way dependent on making a contribution. Policy and practice about school uniforms is also a matter for each individual school and its own parent body. Circular 32/2017 requires schools to consult with parents about uniforms, to ensure that uniforms are available from a variety and range of shops, and to ensure that only iron-on or sew-on crests are used. My Department provided €1 million for a pilot free book scheme in schools in 2020, and this pilot programme has been continued each year over the past two years. I am considering further expanding this pilot, pending a full review of the scheme.
