Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 5 Jul 2022

Vol. 1024 No. 7

Back to School Costs: Motion [Private Members]

Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

I move:

That Dáil Éireann:

recognises that:

— the costs of returning to school each year cause enormous financial stress and pressure on parents, a fact likely to be exacerbated by the rising cost-of-living crisis;

— according to a survey undertaken by the Irish League of Credit Unions in 2021, 63 per cent of parents found covering back-to-school costs a significant financial burden, with 24 per cent of families getting into debt, and 21 per cent of families having debts of over €500;

— according to the same survey, the average cost of sending a child to primary school is now €1,186, and €1,491 for a secondary school child; and

— a Barnardos survey in 2021 found that 50 per cent of parents said they were concerned about the cost of returning to school, and that 20 per cent of parents take out some form of loan to pay for school costs;

notes that:

— primary and post primary education in this State is intended to be "free" under the Constitution and in legislation, but that the reality is profoundly different;

— the cost-of-living crisis continues to mount, with almost two thirds of parents saying they and their children had to go without essentials over the past six months due to cost of living increases, and 28 per cent having cut back or gone without heating;

— despite the fact that back-to-school costs have continued to increase in recent years, the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BTSCFA) is lower now than it was in 2007;

— primary and secondary schools remain profoundly underfunded, leading schools to request "voluntary contributions" and to fundraise simply to pay basic and essential bills, and that this situation is likely to be worse this year due to increased energy costs;

— this State is 75 years behind the North in introducing free school books, where it was introduced in 1947; and

— the complete failure of the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, and the Minister of State, Josepha Madigan, to take any concrete action to tackle these costs within their Department; and

therefore, calls on the Government to:

— give the BTSCFA to middle income families by extending it to 500,000 additional children;

— increase the BTSCFA by 50 per cent for those who already qualify;

— work towards abolishing voluntary contributions, by implementing the Education (Voluntary Contributions) Bill 2021, proposed by Sinn Féin, and by increasing capitation funding to schools;

— deliver a fully free school book scheme for all children, through increases in funding, to rapidly expand the availability of book rental schemes over a number of budgets;

— enact, without delay, the Education (Affordable School Uniforms) Bill introduced by Sinn Féin, to ensure all schools have a uniform policy that reduces costs for families; and

— eliminate fees on the school transport scheme, beginning with a 20 per cent reduction next year, and provide seats for an additional 10,000 children.

As the Minister knows, back-to-school costs are an enormous pressure on families in any year and one often hears organisations such as Barnardos, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Irish League of Credit Unions, as well as community welfare officers, talk about the enormously increased rate of calls they get from families who are really struggling. That has been true the last few years but is doubly true this year. We have a cost-of-living crisis that sees rents spiralling out of control, childcare costs like a second mortgage and food, fuel and electricity costs increasing. On top of that, this year schools which are themselves under financial pressure will pass on some of those costs to families. This week, last week and the week before the booklists, uniform lists and letters for voluntary contributions started coming in. The scale of this can be considerable. Many schools do their best to minimise the costs but if you have a child in primary school and two children in secondary schools, you could well be paying €1,500. I spoke to one mother in Cork last week, referred to by Deputy Doherty in Leaders' Questions last week, who faces costs of €1,600, about €500 or €600 of which was in voluntary contributions. That is enough to put any family under severe pressure and leave them questions about how they will pay the next bill and if they will go to the moneylender or credit union. These are hard decisions. Summer is supposed to be a time of respite and a break, particularly after the past two years, but can be a time of immense hardship. I received an email from a woman in Dublin recently:

This time of year is so so stressful and worse than I've ever felt. I have an empty fridge, no heat, no car tax because I can’t afford the arrears which just keep mounting up. I have been onto SVP a few times for help... My eldest is going into transition year. The school asked for an additional €100 to the standard registration fee for 4th year. I have no idea how I am going to afford anything this year when I can barely make ends meet. Every 2 weeks my mortgage is paid when my social welfare goes in leaving me with €50 for the week.

That is the reality for many families and not just at the lowest incomes but right into middle-income families and cutting across the State. That is the reality we are contending with. It has been Sinn Féin's position in recent days and weeks in launching our proposals that this could not wait until September. These costs will have come and gone. The Government's position until about two hours ago was this had to wait until the budget. I am sure it is not by coincidence or quirk of calendar that the Minister has announced a set of proposals today. I am glad the Government has started to listen and realised that it would not be fair or equitable to ask parents to wait until September for assistance when these costs are arising this week, next week and over the coming weeks. It will force people to make very difficult decisions.

I welcome that the Government has taken on several of Sinn Féin's proposals. We have been keen to ensure those on the lowest incomes get additional help. The problem is there are many people who will not benefit from this. The other part of Sinn Féin's proposals was ensuring that those who do not get any assistance would get some. Under the Minister's proposal, if you have one child in school and a weekly income of €621 you will not qualify for back-to-school allowance. That is not a big income. That is lower than the average industrial wage. For all those families that are really struggling now and do not qualify, I am afraid the proposals do not address that, particularly if they do not avail of school transport.

The Government has started to listen at last and is not saying September any longer. That was a ludicrous and unfair position in any event, and equally so outside of this debate. The Minister needs to start listening to families who do not qualify. They are under severe pressure and will be making decisions about bills, moneylenders, credit unions and all the rest of it. I urge the Minister to implement what she has brought forward today. I welcome it and it will help. Those families looking on, watching the news and saying it might help them will find out in a week or two that they are not getting anything. The Minister needs to do something about them.

Between now and September, I urge the Minister to go back to those talks with the Ministers, Deputies Michael McGrath and Humphreys, the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and whoever and find a way to offer assistance to those families on €621 per week who do not get anything. They could be facing bills of over €1,000. That is not good enough. We need more help for them. I welcome what the Minister has taken on board from the Sinn Féin proposals and ask her to look at the remainder and give some assistance to those who are really struggling and do not qualify.

Deputy Pearse Doherty

Molaim an Teachta Ó Laoghaire as an rún seo a thabhairt chun tosaigh ar son Sinn Féin agus as an obair atá déanta aige chun an cás seo a chur chun tosaigh le tamall fada anois. Tá a fhios againn go bhfuil teaghlaigh amuigh ansin faoi fíorbhrú leis na costais agus iad ag tabhairt aghaidh ar mhí Lúnasa agus ar pháistí ag dul ar ais ar scoil. Mar a dúirt an Teachta, tá na billí ag titim isteach tríd an doras na laethanta seo. Níl dabht ar bith go raibh an líne a bhí ag an Rialtas ná nach raibh aon rud chun tarlú go dtí an cháinaisnéis ach, mar gheall ar an rún seo atá curtha chun tosaigh anocht, chímid go bhfuil an Rialtas ag bogadh, cé nach bhfuil sé ag bogadh fada go leor.

The mantra from Government that there would be no more individual measures until budget time was very clear. We were all told that the issue could be dealt with comprehensively at that time but we can be thankful that Deputy Ó Laoghaire has continued to raise this case and, in moving this motion, has forced the Cabinet to act. There was a scramble of Ministers meeting with the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform to come up with a measure to counter what Sinn Féin is asking for. We welcome any money going to families who are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis but let us be clear that this is not enough. Some 500,000 families have been left out, families who earn less than €80,000 and who should be getting this payment of up to €282 for children aged 11 years and older.

Deputy Paul Donnelly

I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire for bringing forward this motion. Sinn Féin proposes to put in place a significant package of €161 million in cash payments. I welcome the measures introduced today but they do not go far enough and will not deal with the situation facing a great many families. We need to do simple things. We need to give a back-to-school allowance to middle-income families with a household income of less than €80,000, increase the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance by 50% and work towards abolishing voluntary contributions. Last year, I challenged a school that would not allow an application form for children to be processed unless a €100 deposit was paid, which would be returned later. That is wrong. It puts pressure on parents at a very early stage. As a parent of four children who have gone through school - three have also gone through college while the youngest looks forward to going in October - I know what it is like for the many parents who are trying to deal with the costs of children going to school. Those back-to-school costs are an enormous issue every year as parents have to pay hundreds and often thousands on books, uniforms, the so-called voluntary contributions I have mentioned and many other things. It is not just an issue for September and October but continues until the following summer. That needs to be dealt with.

The Tánaiste cast doubts on NGOs' data on the cost of children's return to school. I would like him to withdraw that slur on the professionalism of these groups. I am sure he will not be found wanting when it comes to cutting a ribbon or taking part in a photo opportunity with these groups. It is important that he retracts the statement he made today. In a 2021 survey, one of those groups, Barnardos, found that 50% of parents said they were concerned about the cost of the return to school and that 20% of parents take out some form of loan to pay school costs. It is absolutely outrageous that a parent unable to pay these costs would have to take out a loan.

The Government has moved and that is very welcome. Many people will be happy with that movement but there is a group of people, working families, who will get absolutely nothing and who will also struggle. These are the ones going to the credit union or bank to try to get money to send their children to school or college. That needs to be addressed.

Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh

I am glad the Minister has listened to my colleague, Deputy Ó Laoghaire, on this issue. It is very clear. Even the Tánaiste said this morning that the last few days have been spent on this. I welcome what it has bought. It is an example of effective opposition. I only wish the Government would listen more to what we and the Opposition more generally have to say with regard to alleviating the pressures on families.

Families in Mayo are finding meeting back-to-school costs a struggle. It is a struggle every year but, this year, these costs are pushing many over the edge. Already coming through the door are book lists, uniform lists and letters regarding voluntary contributions. Can the Minister imagine what it is like for the child in the classroom who cannot afford to go on the school tour to be asked for a voluntary contribution when the money is just not there? Even though the family may be turning the heating off and reducing the amount of food they are eating, the money being demanded from them is just not there. I want the Minister to understand and realise the damage that is done to children when they are forced into that situation.

I welcome what the Minister has done today. She did it under duress and pressure but families are under immense duress and pressure in trying to get an education for their children. We have to remember that, under the Constitution, we are supposed to provide free education. We have to get back to that. This motion is an opportunity to give the back-to-school allowance to middle-income families, targeting those with household incomes of €80,000 or less, because a great many families are locked out and cannot benefit from the back-to-school allowance. It does not reflect the financial reality of people's households. That is why we are proposing this motion, which would result in 500,000 additional children qualifying for the allowance. It is crucially importantly that those families qualify and are given a break. They are the families who work tirelessly and really hard to educate their children. The proposal would also see a 50% increase for those already receiving the payment.

I welcome the announcement made with regard to school transport but it needs to apply for more than just this year. It is scandalous that we charge families €650 for their children to get on a school bus and that we deny many children across the State a seat on those buses because we label their places as concessionary. It is not right.

Deputy Mairéad Farrell

Cuirim fáilte roimh an rún seo agus gabhaim buíochas le mo chomhghleacaí, an Teachta Ó Laoghaire, as é a chur os comhair na Dála anocht. Tá a fhios againn ar fad an bhrú uafásach atá ar theaghlaigh faoi láthair. Tá brú orthu mar gheall ar an gcostas maireachtála ach tá brú eile orthu anois toisc go bhfuil a fhios acu go mbeidh Meán Fómhair ag teacht go luath. Tá litreacha ag teacht isteach sa doras ag lorg airgid cheana féin agus níl an t-airgead sin ag daoine. Feicim an méid a d'fhógraíodh anocht agus táim sásta go bhfuil an Rialtas ag éisteacht linn ach is dócha nach bhfuil sé ag éisteacht linn i gceart. Cuirim fáilte roimh an méid atá ráite inniu ach ní leor é. Tá a fhios againn go bhfuil go leor daoine ann atá díreach taobh amuigh den bhanda agus nach mbeidh in ann cabhair agus cúnamh i gcomhair Mheán Fómhair. Ní bhfaighidh daoine ar €620 in aghaidh na seachtaine a bhfuil páiste amháin acu tada. Leis an méid atá á chur os comhair na Dála againn anocht, bheadh 500,000 páiste eile ag fáil cabhrach. Ciallaíonn sé sin go mbeidh 75% de pháistí scoile ag fáil cúnaimh agus ag fáil cabhrach. Is é sin an cineál aicsin atá ag teastáil uainn ón Rialtas seo. Teastaíonn uainn go dtuigfeadh an Rialtas go dteastaíonn an chabhair sin. Is mór an trua é nár éist an Rialtas linn i gceart.

I am delighted that we are having this debate. I am pleased that there has been an announcement tonight. After weeks and months of hearing that no action would be taken until the budget, it is welcome that some action has been taken. It is clear that the Government listened to the proposals put forward by my colleague, Deputy Ó Laoghaire, but the problem is that it did not listen to them fully and that a whole section of people are left behind. Our proposals would mean 500,000 extra children being included. That would mean that 75% of schoolgoing children would get that support. That is the kind of action that is needed from Government and the kind of support that Galway families need now. I ask the Minister to reflect on that and to bring in the measures Sinn Féin is proposing this evening.

Deputy Johnny Mythen

I thank my colleague, Deputy Ó Laoghaire, Sinn Féin's spokesperson on education, and his team for putting together this sensible and beneficial package for the good of our schoolchildren and of the nation. The facts speak for themselves. We have record high inflation rate of over 9% which is racing towards breaking the 10% barrier. Heavy food prices are also heading our way. A local bakery in Wexford which supplies the region has increased its prices three times in the last 18 months. It is now €3.19 for a white sliced pan from the local bakery.

This is a basic food item. Flour has doubled in price while vegetable oil has tripled and yeast has increased by 30%. There have also been huge increases in the cost of milk, eggs and buttermilk. Twelve months ago, pasteurised egg cost €1.20 per kg. Today it costs €2.40 per kg. Butter is trading at €7,500 per tonne. Twelve months ago, it was €3,380 per tonne.

I raise these issues because they affect every single family in Ireland and are subsequently related to every family's school budget. Something must be done now to help families, particularly with the back-to-school costs. The basics must be covered. Families on middle incomes, including those on incomes up to €80,000, must be included in the back-to-school allowance. Everyone in this House, including Government and Opposition Deputies, must take action now. Working families are facing colossal energy bills this winter. Electricity and gas bills have increased by 193% and 93%, respectively. Unfortunately, there are more increases to come. This motion is important because it would give an additional 500,000 children and their parents financial help at a time when critical intervention is most needed. It would help hold back the tide and keep working families above the water line. We are asking the Government to increase the back-to-school allowance by 50% for those who already qualify for it. We are also asking it to enact Sinn Féin's Education (Affordable School Uniforms) Bill 2022.

This realisation must sink in. Immediate action must be forthcoming before the winter arrives. The increase in the back-to-school allowance can and will make a difference to more than two thirds of children returning to school, as well as those enrolling for the first time this year. It should be increased from €160 to €240 for children between four and 11 and from €285 to €427.50 for children over 12 years of age. This package will make a huge difference and will help many families, including an additional 500,000 children and their families, with their back-to-school costs when they need it most. I ask all Deputies to see the economic and social benefits this motion will bring to our young people and their parents and give help when it is needed. I hope all Deputies will support this motion. Ten weeks' time is far too late.

Deputy Pauline Tully

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion regarding cutting back-to-school costs. I commend my colleague Deputy Ó Laoghaire on his work in bringing it forward. Families across the State, and I have spoken with many in my constituency of Cavan-Monaghan, find back-to-school costs a huge burden every year. However, this year it is more severe, with a cost-of-living crisis and continually spiralling fuel and food costs, as well as high rents and childcare costs to contend with. Letters about the purchase of books and uniforms, as well as voluntary contributions, have started to arrive through doors already.

I welcome the initiatives the Government has already announced, including an increase in the back-to-school allowance, but I agree with my colleagues that the scheme must be extended to squeezed middle-income families, targeting those on a household income of €80,000 or less. This measure would ensure an additional 500,000 children would qualify for this support and would greatly ease the enormous pressure on their parents. This is the squeezed middle, who do not qualify for anything. They are just above the threshold for the medical card, housing supports and the back-to-school allowance. This year, they really need a break.

Something must also be done about the cost of schoolbooks. Sinn Féin in government would work towards an entirely free schoolbook scheme for children. While some schools have book rental arrangements in place, which reduce costs considerably, we need to go further and ensure children have access to free schoolbooks. As a former teacher, I also believe something needs to be done about schoolbook publishers excessively revising their textbooks, forcing families to purchase books every few years. This is entirely unnecessary.

On school transport, I welcome the fact that fees have been dismissed for this year but we should go further. We need to eliminate fees in the school transport system on a phased basis and provide seats for an additional 10,000 children. Other countries offer free school transport. Why can we not do it?

Sinn Féin in government would also enact Sinn Féin’s Education (Affordable School Uniforms) Bill 2022 straight away, alongside our Bill to abolish voluntary contributions, which can put families under pressure to fork out hundreds of euro every year. Schools must be properly resourced so they are not relying on these voluntary contributions. I once again commend my colleague Deputy Ó Laoghaire on this motion and reiterate that families are suffering here and now. They need assistance immediately.

Minister for Education (Deputy Norma Foley)

I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire and his colleagues for tabling this motion. I welcome the opportunity to speak to the House this evening on the important matter of back-to-school costs. I appreciate that the cost of returning to school every autumn is a significant element and, indeed, burden, in every family’s budget. I am acutely aware of the matters raised in the motion concerning back-to-school costs, especially in the context of rising cost-of-living expenses generally.

Equality of access and opportunity in education has always been a core principle for Fianna Fáil and this Government and we recognise that reducing costs is an intrinsic part of this ambition. Earlier today, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the Minister for Social Protection and I announced a package worth €67 million to support parents and students in their return to school. This package cuts across an array of services and needs, including the elimination of all fees on the school transport scheme, a €100 increase in the back-to-school allowance, and the expansion of the school meals programme to almost 60,000 more students.

The school transport scheme and back-to-school allowance initiatives will put nearly €9 a week back into parents’ pockets. The back-to-school allowance scheme was introduced more than 30 years ago. I am pleased to confirm to the House that this payment will be increased by €100 for this coming academic year. This will benefit more than 262,000 children in 151,000 families right across the State. This payment will go some way to helping parents and families meet the cost of school attendance.

Schoolbook funding has been increased every year over the past number of years, with increased funding available for book rental schemes, and a new free book scheme having been introduced in more than 100 Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, DEIS, primary schools since 2020. It is my intention to continue to expand the provision of free books to all school children as resources allow.

Every year, the school transport scheme provides a vital service to families across the families. In the last academic year, more than 121,000 students used the school transport scheme, including 15,000 students with special educational needs. I am delighted to confirm that for this coming academic year, parents will not have to pay a fee in order to access this vital service, with all fees being waived for those in receipt of a ticket. This will result in immediate savings of up to €500 for a family and will benefit more than 120,000 children. Where a parent has already made a payment in respect of their child’s ticket, this will be fully refunded. Further information will issue to all applicants in the coming days.

The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,506 schools and organisations benefiting 230,000 children. As the Deputies present will be aware, earlier this year I announced the single most significant expansion of the DEIS programme, at a cost of €32 million and benefiting 347 additional schools. This will benefit 60,000 children, bringing the total number of students in the DEIS scheme to 240,000. The DEIS programme provides a wide range of supports to schools, including enhanced capitation payments, lower pupil-teacher ratios, and additional planning supports. I am pleased to confirm that the Government today extended the school meals programme to schools that have recently entered the DEIS programme, which will benefit 310 newly designated DEIS schools and almost 60,000 students. All of us know the value of a healthy meal for students. This is a very welcome measure from the Government and the Minister for Social Protection.

As I mentioned earlier, the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance payments will be paid to more than 150,000 families in respect of approximately 262,000 children for the coming school year. Today, the Government announced an increase of €100 in the back-to-school allowance for the coming academic year. Consequently, the amount being paid for each qualified child aged between four and 11 years will be €260 and the rate payable for each eligible child aged 12 and over will be €385. It is estimated that some 151,000 families will benefit from this measure in respect of over 262,000 children. This is a one-off measure for 2022 to assist families with back-to-school costs in the current school year.

My Department already provides a book grant of more than €17 million annually to all recognised primary and post-primary schools within the free education scheme in order to provide assistance for books, including book rental schemes. All schools are encouraged to operate book rental schemes to help alleviate costs to parents. At primary level, 96% of schools operate a book rental scheme for parents. The programme for Government contains a commitment to "Commence a free schoolbooks scheme pilot in September 2020 and, pending a successful review of the pilot, expand the scheme to schools nationwide, as resources allow."

Following a commitment in budget 2020 to introduce an extra support to reduce costs for families and school communities, €1 million of funding for a pilot book grant scheme in primary schools was provided. More than 15,000 pupils across 102 primary schools have benefited from this increased investment. This scheme will continue this year, and I intend to seek funding to expand this programme in future budgets.

The Department has also issued a circular to all schools, asking schools to adopt numerous measures in order to minimise costs for parents and families. This includes the provision of a book rental scheme and the phasing out of the use of non-reusable workbooks. Schools are also asked to create a uniform policy which ensures that all items are available from a variety of shops to allow parents and guardians to shop around, and that these uniform items only have iron-on crests.

As Deputies will be aware, students have recently concluded their leaving certificate and junior cycle examinations. This year, in recognition of the financial pressures faced by parents, all examination fees have been waived for every examination student.

In addition to meeting salary costs and providing for building construction and maintenance, the Department provides capitation grant funding directly to schools to cater for day-to-day school running costs such as heating, lighting, insurance and general upkeep. For example, a voluntary secondary school with 500 pupils will receive capitation and ancillary funding of €316,575. A primary school with 150 pupils will receive capitation and ancillary funding of €53,400. This funding notwithstanding, the Department fully understands and accepts the need for improved capitation funding, and therefore the Government has provided for a combined 7.5% increase in standard capitation funding for all recognised primary and post-primary schools over the last number of budgets. It is my intention to seek funding for further capitation increases in future budgets.

Primary and post-primary schools in the free education system are not permitted to charge any form of mandatory fee. No charge may be made in respect of instruction in any subject of the school curriculum, or for recreation or other activities where all pupils are expected to take part. Where voluntary contributions are sought from parents, it must be made clear to all families that the contributions are voluntary in nature and that payment or non-payment of these fees will have no bearing on their child's place in a school.

These are some of the measures that the Government and Department of Education have taken to reduce the burden of back-to-school costs on parents, guardians and families. The Government is committed to continue to build on the good progress made in this area and we are also conscious of the impact that the cost-of-living pressures are having across all of our society.

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

I thank my colleague, an Teachta Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, for all his work in this area. I thank him principally for listening to parents who are really worried about not being able to cope as their kids go back to school. These are real worries and as September comes, people start to worry more. An Teachta Ó Laoghaire has done more than just listen. He has learned from those parents what they desperately need and put it into a comprehensive package, which we are laying before the House tonight on behalf of those parents, who are struggling. I welcome the U-turn by the Government. As we know, the Government said it would not be doing anything but would wait for October, but now the budget is in September and there are some additional measures. If this was a school report, we would say "could try harder", or "could listen a little better".

In my constituency, Dublin Fingal, we pay some of the highest rents in Europe. Back-to-school costs are not a nuisance for my constituents; it is a matter of being able to get to the end of the week or not. Most people cannot afford the rents that we have to pay unless they have a second income, where both parents are working, paying some of the highest childcare rates and rents in Europe. The cost of everything is going up. We welcome the measures but it has already been outlined to the Minister that 500,000 kids will miss out. We ask that she listen to what we and the parents are saying. She should listen to their lived reality and their experience of the cost-of-living crisis. She should take all of that into account and revise the proposals in order that they make a meaningful difference to the lives of low and middle-income earners, who are struggling.

I draw attention to what the Minister said in her contribution about when voluntary contributions are sought for parents, it must be made clear to all families that the contributions are voluntary in nature. Does she have any idea what sort of pressure is put on parents to pay that voluntary contribution? Would she like to be the only child in the class who was not paying that? The Minister knows and kids know that these contributions are far from voluntary. It mortifies teachers and principals to have to ask for it, but they are making up a shortfall left by the Government. I ask the Minister to live in the real world. These contributions are in no way voluntary. They put pressure on parents.

Deputy Réada Cronin

I am pleased to speak on this Private Members' business, given the back-to-school pressure on my constituents in north Kildare. I am pleased that the Government has seen some sense and responded to an Teachta Ó Laoghaire's lead in addressing the back-to-school costs before the Dáil recess. What we are discussing is essential. Hardworking mothers are coming to me and saying that they feel sick to the pit of their stomachs. They are trying to manage the grocery shopping bills and see the school uniforms back in shops already. They are going to the counter with the schoolbook lists, hoping they will be able to make a start on them and will not have to leave it to the end of the August.

The plans regarding the so-called voluntary contribution will bring peace of mind to hardworking families. I ask the Minister to look at that. They are not really voluntary contributions. Families driving their children home from school receive a letter reminding them that their children will be excluded from school activities, in a country that prides itself on free education.

Low to middle-income families are drowning in the cost of living crisis. What we propose in the Private Members' motion would throw them a lifeline and give them a hand. Life is hard behind many people's doors, including some cases where you would not even have imagined it. Our carefully-costed plan would immediately put money in people's pockets and take away the mortification when that dreaded letter about the voluntary contribution comes, as well as giving breathing space to families suffering financial distress and worry. We would extend the back-to-school allowance at current rates to an additional 500,000 children in middle-income families. We propose to increase the payment by €80 from €160 to €240 for a child aged four to 11, and from €285 to €427.50, an increase of €142, for children aged 12 and over, while the Government is providing a flat €100. Sinn Féin believes we should target the increases at families who really need it. We all know the back-to-school costs are much higher for children going back to secondary school rather than primary school, including uniforms, books and so on. Our move to a free book scheme would be like manna from heaven for many parents, as would the extra 10,000 places on the busanna scoile. We need far more places on the busanna scoile if we are to show that we are really taking climate change seriously. I am surprised the Green Party did not seem to have any input into the eleventh hour action today. I welcome that the Government is following Sinn Féin's lead and has moved, but the Minister needs to move further.

Deputy Dessie Ellis

With the summer holidays under way, it will not be long before most parents around the country will begin to think about the costs of sending their children back to school. For many parents, particularly in this economic climate, the thought of finding the means to pay the escalating costs of preparing a child or a number of children for a new school year can be a daunting prospect.

Most parents who are preparing a child for the new school year will have a must-buy list of items. This could include uniforms, school shoes and books for the new academic year. There will also be an expectation of being obliged to make voluntary contributions to the school to provide for the cost of various school activities in the new academic year. Many schools will insist that parents buy branded uniforms such as blazers, school shirts and ties from a specific supplier, which can be very costly. Those in economically disadvantaged communities or parents on low incomes often face stark choices when preparing their child or children to return to school. It can impact on the family's health and welfare, on their ability to pay bills, to pay rent, to pay mortgages, to pay for transport and to pay for childcare.

The average cost is €1,200 for a primary school student and €1,500 for a secondary school student. Most families struggle to find the extra money to cover such back-to-school costs. With the cost of living spiralling out of control, these costs are an additional burden on struggling families. Sinn Féin is proposing to help struggling families by extending the back-to-school allowance to middle-income families with a household income of under €80,000. This will bring an additional 500,000 children into the back-to-school allowance scheme. For those who already qualify for the allowance, it is essential that they receive an increase in the allowance by 50% to allow for the escalating rising costs across the board of sending a child back to school.

We need to catch up with our neighbours in the North and introduce a free schoolbooks scheme. Sending a child to school should not impose a financial burden on parents. Whatever happened to the idea of free education? It is something we should be striving for. The Government needs to take urgent action to ensure that sending a child to school will not break the bank or cause hardship for the parents or the child. While some of the measures the Minister has announced are welcome, it has taken a long time and it is this Private Members' motion that has pushed the Government into this position.

Deputy Gary Gannon

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion today. It is an unusually important motion. I also believe that the ramifications of the motion and the Opposition pressure have led to the announcement today, which I welcome. The announcement today will bring great relief to families who are struggling. I lament the fact that it took so long to get to this point but, regardless, it will be a huge relief to those families.

I have one criticism. I have been asked if it goes far enough and the answer must be "No, it does not." As for the reasons it does not go far enough, a report published by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul some months ago sticks very strongly in my mind. The report, entitled, The Cost of Surviving?, captured data showing that one-parent families are continually the most vulnerable cohort of people in the State and are consistently living on the poverty line. To them, every single additional measure or every single letter that comes through their door is a fear. They are fearful of their child coming home to say that he or she has torn football boots or saying that the school needs a capitation or a voluntary contribution or that they need a new book. Every single cost incurred for that cohort of people is a huge fear. As for what would be enough, were funding of €236 million to be announced in the next budget, that would go a huge amount of the way towards making primary and secondary education in this country truly free. Only that would be enough, such is the cost-of-living crisis.

In Ireland we are very good at using certain words when we mean something else. In this Chamber we talk continually about the cost-of living crisis. This actually means people living in poverty. By its very nature, poverty is corrosive to the human spirit. I remember talking to a person in a one-parent family about one year ago, which was before the various different increases that we have seen recently. She was talking to me about how poverty attacks every single one of her senses. Poverty means being able to smell the food that you must reserve and not eat. Poverty means the noise that comes from the next room when you are living in a hotel room with your children and the fear of who might be coming up and down the corridors. Poverty induces huge levels of fear. When parents are thinking about incurring the costs of the return to school, that fear is genuinely tangible. These are parents who are, in some instances, already skipping a meal. This is not hyperbole on my part. This information is captured by the Cost of Surviving? report from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. It is also in every single one of our email inboxes. I cannot be the only Deputy in this Chamber who, when out meeting people or engaging with them through our office, is hearing people in genuine fear of not being able to afford three square meals a day. There is a fear of a child coming home with a torn jacket because the parent will not be able to afford to replace it. They now never contemplate having a meal out with friends or a night out because inevitably, the budget would not stretch that far.

I welcome today's announcement. I lament that it has taken so long but I believe it does not go far enough. We are after the €236 million funding for a fully free education. That should be the gold standard. We should not be willing to compromise on anything less than that. I am very conscious that up until today, the back-to-education allowance was significantly higher than it was since 2007. Today's announcement, however, has actually gone beyond that, which is welcome. It should not have had to take that long. The Government must be a lot more reactive when listening to the real lived experience of the people who are telling us they are choosing between heating their homes or having three square meals a day so their children do not go without. These are the real lived experiences of families who are suffering and cannot wait for an October, now a September, budget. These are the real lived experiences of people who are saying that this cost-of-living crisis is genuinely a cost-of-survival situation in their homes. I welcome Sinn Féin's motion today. I commend that it has been brought to the House. It needs to be discussed at this point and I welcome the response from the Government this evening but it does not go far enough. Let us make education truly free in this country: free primary school education and free secondary school education. It should never be the case anymore that in this Republic, parents would fear having to buy an additional book because it means they may have to sacrifice a meal. That is the genuine lived experience as relayed to us.

Deputy Paul Murphy

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this very important motion. I attended an event last week organised by the Children's Rights Alliance to discuss the issue of child poverty, including the issue of the cost of education. It is striking that Ireland is the fifth richest country in the world on a GDP per capita basis, but one in nine children in the State live in constant poverty. This is 134,000 children. These are the children who are going to go hungry this summer because school is out and they cannot access the school meals, which a minority of students are able to access. This is an absolute scandal. It is a scandal that is not discussed enough in this House or generally in the media. It is an absolute scandal because it is completely unnecessary. Ireland could target and could achieve the complete elimination of child poverty. It is a question of resources, including resources to make education truly free.

In Ireland we have a supposedly free education system. We even have, supposedly, free third level education, but we will not even go there for now. Yet, in this system of free education, in the coming months parents will be asked to pay for lots of books, for uniforms, for transport and for the so-called voluntary contributions. In any year, the costs will add up immensely for parents but particularly in this year, given the cost-of-living crisis, which is hitting people so hard, it simply will be unaffordable for many people.

I believe it was an Irish League of Credit Unions survey that looked at the costs for parents to send kids to school. It is truly shocking. It costs more than €1,000 to send a child to primary school and nearly €1,500 to send a child to secondary school. A very good survey was also done a couple of years ago by Barnardos that broke down some of these costs.

For example, 76% of parents with a child in primary school and 96% of parents with a child in secondary school report having to purchase a crested uniform. Some 42%, or less than half of secondary school pupils, have a book rental scheme available in their school. Parents of primary school pupils pay, on average, €50 towards a school book rental scheme, while parents of secondary school students are paying €115. The vast majority of parents are being asked to pay a so-called voluntary contribution.

The bottom line is that in an education system in which education is supposedly free, all of these things should be provided. Parents should not have to pay for anything to enable their children to go to school. School meals should be provided for every child in the State and that should be extended to the summertime for all those who want to avail of it. The State should provide all children in school with nutritious, quality and hot meals. That is a basic requirement and could be done for about €300 million. The same amount could be raised through a 50% windfall tax on the energy companies and the war profiteering currently taking place.

Similarly, there is no reason we have to be shackled to the profiteering of the book companies, which bring out their new books every year or every couple of years and say people must buy them. We should have free book schemes, as many European countries have, where the books are provided as part of the education system.

We should not have a system in which schools are underfunded and then seek voluntary contributions, placing unacceptable pressure on parents who simply cannot afford to pay them. This also puts children into a very difficult situation. We should simply resource our schools properly. The whole voluntary contribution system embeds inequality in our education system because the amount a school serving an area with many higher income earners gets is much different from the amount a school gets in a deprived working-class area. Educational inequality is embedded through that.

I will briefly raise with the Minister a point about a school in my constituency, St. Aidan’s Community School in Brookfield, because it is related to educational quality. The school has a serious need for the repair and maintenance of the roof, external walls and windows, which are leaking. It has also received a report showing approximately €100,000 would have to be spent to make the school fire-safe. Remedial work on this and that will be done to patch up the school when this large site could be used as a facility for the community. There is space on the site for a community centre, for example. The matter needs to be investigated because, fundamentally, it appears that we need to build a new, quality school building for the school. I will be in touch with the Minister directly on the issue.

Deputy Mick Barry

On the Government’s back-to-school package announced this evening, I believe the Government would have closed up shop for the summer after the recess without any package whatsoever had it not been for the pressure it was put under by the Opposition in this House and, in particular and most importantly, by ordinary people the length and breadth of this country who have made their views known on these issues.

I welcome the increase on the back-to-school allowance, as will many hard-pressed households but it still does not go far enough. For starters, a family with an income of €621 per week will not benefit from the change to the back-to-school allowance. That income is not a great deal of money. It is less than the average industrial wage. These families, and a significant number of others who do not benefit from this scheme, need to be included in it. If it costs €1,200 to send a child to primary school and €1,500 to send a child to secondary school, a 10% increase in costs this summer will amount to more than €100 per child and families will still be worse off, even with the increase in the allowance.

According to press reports tonight, €47 million is being spent on this package. It would take five times that amount to make schoolbooks 100% free and eliminate the need for any voluntary contributions. That is what should be done. It is far from impossible. In Belgium, schoolbooks and materials are 100% free for primary and secondary school students alike. In France, schoolbooks are 100% free for both. In neither country were these changes given to the people free gratis and for nothing by a kind establishment. In both countries, it was working class people who fought for and campaigned for the implementation of those changes. What we are saying is that we have to step up the pressure from below for change in this country. People have forced some positive change from the Government on education costs tonight. Now we need to step up the pressure on energy costs, food prices and the entire cost-of-living crisis in this country. It is the squeaky door that gets the grease. The Government is under pressure as has been shown this evening. That pressure needs to be doubled, trebled and quadrupled in the weeks and months ahead.

Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick

I welcome the announcement that the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance will be automatically paid to families from next Monday. This will be worth €160 per child for primary school children between the ages of four and 11 years and €285 for those who attend secondary school. I also welcome the extra €100 payment to families before the end of August and the decision of the Department of Education to waive the school transport fees. As the Minister said, this measure will help 120,000 children. This is all good news, as are the 60,000 additional school meals that will be made available. This is a very good job and badly needed, so well done to the Minister.

We need to extend the back-to-school allowance scheme to middle-income families and increase the rate payable to people on lower incomes. It is hard to believe that the back-to-school allowance was much higher 15 years ago than it is today and that 25% of people go into debt to pay the cost of children going back to school. I just heard that today. As the Minister knows, this is a very expensive time for families with school-going children when one considers the costs of uniforms, shoes, books, travel and school contributions.

I looked today at who qualifies for the back-to-school allowance. It is people on social welfare payments, including the working family payments, back-to-work family dividends and HSE payments, people on approved employment schemes or back-to-work schemes, those taking part in recognised education and training courses or in receipt of a daily expenses allowance either for a child’s education or personally from the age of 20 taking part in a scheme while attending a further education and training course. Many people in receipt of social welfare payments are not included in that list, including those in receipt of the children's allowance, rent supplement, guardian payments or blind benefits.

While I welcome the changes, middle-income working families still have a problem. They are struggling from week to week, trying to keep their spirits up at home with their family with everything else. If they have two or three children, they have to pay all of this money. They are struggling to put food on the table, pay their mortgages and heating bills and put petrol in their cars to travel to work and take their children to school.

I welcome the €2.4 billion the Government provided for cost-of-living measures last week.

I am not ashamed to raise again a case I raised in the House last week. A man came into my constituency office crying. He said he could no longer afford to look after his family. He travels up to Dublin five days a week from Dundalk. His petrol and fuel costs have doubled and he feels under enormous pressure. Everything seems to be going wrong for him. He has to vacate the house he is renting.

He found one house that cost €1,800 a month in rent. He just cannot afford to pay it. It is impossible. This is very concerning and it is not just him, but others coming to my constituency office.

Many people are now considering going on to social welfare because by doing so they get the housing assistance payment, HAP, at maybe €1,150. They also get medical cards and are entitled to other benefits. This is a typical family of four. The cost of living for a typical family of four is over €3,000, excluding rent. When rent is added it is €4,500 a month, which is €54,000 per year. It does not pay middle-income people or people on low income to work. We need to take a serious look at the situation at the moment.

I welcome that the Government is trying its best, but only a certain number of people will get this. This is one family and other families are coming to me. We are trying to get people working and trying to get the country on its feet again. Looking at the corporation tax take, the top ten companies in Ireland contribute one eighth of the total cost of keeping the country going. We need people out there working, but the country is encouraging people to stay on social welfare to get these benefits. The Minister might not think so. I will praise the Government again. Giving the extra €100 for the back-to-school allowance is very good, but it is only helping a small number of people. I plead with the Government to help the people who need the help now.

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

The cost of living is squeezing families throughout the country. There is a feeling of the 1980s in towns and villages the length and breadth of the country at the moment. Families simply cannot pay bills. They cannot buy the necessities such as food and clothing for their children. Food banks and Society of St. Vincent de Paul groups throughout the country are out the door at the moment. The Capuchin Day Centre in Dublin and other food-support networks are inundated. There is a real crisis washing through the whole of the country at the moment.

Even before this cost-of-living crisis, 661,000 people were living in poverty in the State. Shockingly nearly 250,000 children were living in poverty. These figures have obviously increased in the past two years. Some 133,000 people are currently defined as working poor, people doing 40 hours work a week but still living in poverty. These people cannot understand the lack of urgency coming from the Government at the moment. It is incredible. We will be listening to a debate on the budget for the next two months and what the Government will or will not bring to the table to help these families.

Today many of these families will fill their cars full of fuel and it may cost €120 to do that but they know that €50 of that is going straight to the Government in the form of taxes. They know the Government is harvesting more in fuel taxes today than it did before the cost-of-living crisis happened and they cannot figure out why the Government will not help them with this.

This year the back-to-school costs will be extremely high for some families. The Irish League of Credit Unions has done good analysis on this. It has pointed out that sending a child to primary school will cost a family €1,186 per child. The costs for a secondary school are even worse at €1,491 per child. These economic stresses are putting pressure on families. Some 63% of families say that back-to-school costs will add a financial burden to their family. Two thirds, a majority of families, see that as a time of enormous pressure on their families. Even worse, a quarter of parents say that back-to-school costs will put them in debt of up to €336. One third of families are putting the debt on to their credit cards. In the most extreme cases, one in 20 are turning to moneylenders who are charging extortionate interest rates just so that they can pay for the typical issues going back to school. We have a rip-off Ireland pushing parents into debt just to get their children an education. These statistics come from last year and they have obviously got worse given the current cost-of-living crisis.

Arguably, the situation for third level students is even more grim. I have seen a two-bedroom apartment in Galway being advertised for €1,750 a month. At this stage I know of students who are commuting from places like Athlone to Galway and from Virginia to Dublin every day to access third level education. Some students are using hostels and those hostels are charging up to €50 a night for those young people to be able to access college. Whether it is the increasing cost of accommodation, uniforms, books, transport or extracurricular activities, what we are seeing now is not just a cost-of-living crisis but certain sections of our society being locked out of third level education. Young adults from lower- and middle-income families are being locked out. The divides in society are being increased. A ceiling is being put on the potential of some young people at the moment. It is actually sapping the nation of its future prospects.

I am glad to hear about the increase in the back-to-school allowance. I also welcome that the Government is considering extending the school meal scheme in the budget. For some time, we in Aontú have been pushing the Minister on this. We are looking for oversight on the amount spent. The amount the Government is spending is increasing, but the number of school meals being provided is reducing at the moment. We need to ensure that both the investment and the number of school meals increase.

It is incredible that this is happening at a time when there is so much wealth and so much profiteering in society. The Oxfam report, Profiting from Pain, estimates that billionaires in the food and energy sectors are now increasing their fortunes by $1 billion every two days. Even in this State, there has been an increase of €50 billion since the start of the Covid pandemic. We need to ensure we live in a more equal society and that means funding those low- and middle-income earners but also it means tackling those who are making gross profits at this time.

Deputy Danny Healy-Rae

I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire and Sinn Féin for bringing this important motion before us. It is very timely in light of the fact that the Dáil will be rising in a week's time and we will not be back before the children go back to school in September. We appreciate that the Government has made some announcements in recent hours, but we have to drive home to the Minister that parents face a summer of dread as they struggle to deal with primary and secondary school charges of up to €1,500 to send their little ones back to school.

Radical reform of the current back-to-school allowance is needed to deal with these costs. The €58 million back-to-school allowance scheme needs to be seriously expanded to cover additional charges placed on parents to ensure more people qualify. Payments should also issue much more rapidly. With the phenomenal rise in the cost of living and the rise in the use of food banks, a similar expansion of the school meals programme to proactively deal with food poverty is also needed. I know from the feedback I get from secondary schools that many children are coming to school hungry. We need to recognise that fact because there has been a lot of talk about food security but surely at the present time, we have enough food for everyone. This problem needs to get recognition and needs to be addressed. We all know that the cost of schoolbooks, tablets, school uniforms, tracksuits and school shoes poses crippling expenses for families.

Some schools require very expensive uniforms. In these times of financial strain for families, this kind of set-up should be stopped. An ordinary jumper and pants should be acceptable rather than a school placing parents under this massive cost burden. Books that were acceptable for the same class last year should be acceptable this year and it should be possible to hand them down.

Children may love finishing school every June but many parents dread it because it is at this time of the year that they must start paying for their return in September. I will mention some of the costs parents face. Schoolbooks cost an average of €210 per child. I have been asking about this. Extracurricular activities cost €178. Gym and sports equipment costs €77 and can go up to €120 at secondary school level. I could talk for a long time but I must give fair play to my colleagues.

Deputy Michael Collins

I commend this motion. It looks like the Government is trying to jump all over the place this evening about the fact that Sinn Féin has put forward a motion on children's school costs. This morning I read out statistics from The Mirror to the Tánaiste. He was not too impressed about where they came from. Hopefully, when the Minister hears what the president of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is saying, it might be taken more seriously. Rose McGowan, the society's national president, said:

But the inflation forecast is rising, rising, rising. The gap between income and expenditure for people on the lowest incomes will grow. The fact of life in Ireland today is that there is a weekly gap of €49 between core social welfare rates and the cost of the minimum essential standard of living.

She spoke about families already worrying about next year's back-to-school costs, about a woman who recently asked the charity to borrow two coats for her children and about people in rural Ireland being unable to leave their homes as they cannot afford the petrol or diesel to do so. Ms McGowan explained that not being able to pay bills or eat properly can also have a knock-on effect on people's well-being and mental health. Children should have happy memories. Separate research compiled by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul detailed further experiences of people living below the minimum standard of living. One parent told the society about not being able to give €5 to their children for school trips while another described feeling crushed because they could not afford to have a birthday party for their eight-year-old daughter.

Last night, I was contacted by a family who are trying to come up with €350 to pay for the school bus ticket. That might have changed by this evening - I would certainly welcome that news, but I hope the devil is not in the detail. We need further clarity on the real roll-out of what the Minister has announced this evening. The parents who contacted me were worried about the school bus ticket for their only child. Both parents have minimum wage jobs and both need cars. They are living on the breadline. They cannot afford a ticket and cannot understand why the 20% discount has not been passed on to them, but then again it is rural Ireland and we expect no better. We are the ones who are paying for your buses and trains up here in Dublin. Parents of secondary school children estimate that they spend €1,340 on average per school year. Parents estimate that it costs €1,040 per annum, which is up €372 compared to 2020, to keep their child in primary school education. The Government's refusal to introduce an emergency budget even as households are pushed to the brink of disaster by soaring living costs is cruel and heartless and will impact families preparing to send children back to school in September.

Regarding the transport scheme announced by the Minister this evening, a lot of people have contacted me who had not contacted me previously. They had been worrying that they would not be able to pay for their child to travel to school but I would like to know the detail of the new scheme. Is every child who sits on a bus going to get a free transport service to school, or are we going to be very confused in the next few weeks and find out it is different from that? I would appreciate if the Minister would clarify that.

Deputy Carol Nolan

I fully support tonight's motion. The motion is timely and certainly needs to be heard and debated at this time because parents and families are really struggling, particularly those on low and middle incomes. While I welcome the increase of €100 in the back-to-school allowance and the announcement that school transport will be free, I hope this will include pupils on concessionary tickets because they need to get to school as well and should not be punished in any way because they have a concessionary ticket. I hope they are included.

It is a deep crisis for so many people. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has reported that it is receiving record numbers of calls this year. It is getting worse by the day. Everything that can be done should be done to help parents. We know that many parents in desperation turn to moneylenders every year and that was the case before the inflation or crisis we have today. I fear that this will become worse if the supports are not there.

I call on the Minister to make sure schools are supported in terms of increased capitation so that we do not have voluntary contributions. I remember bringing forward a Bill a few years ago on voluntary contributions. They need to be scrapped. Schools should not have to ask families on low and middle incomes to make up the shortfall in money to keep the lights or heat on in school. Capitation needs to increase and schools need to be helped in every way possible so that it does not fall back on families.

It is a very difficult time for people and everything that needs to be done should be done. I ask for DEIS status to be extended to more schools because there are many disadvantaged communities where people are really struggling and yet the schools in those areas are not designated as DEIS. There has been a problem with this model for years. In a time of crisis and hardship like this, DEIS status should be extended to many schools. There are schools in disadvantaged communities in my constituency of Laois-Offaly and it is frustrating for those teachers and principals to see their school has not been included. Again, this will help families. If we bring in as many measures as we can, look at it across the board and help our schools, it will not fall back on the families, particularly at a time when they can least afford it.

I also hope that we will see some sort of support in terms of schoolbooks and that many schools will be assisted so that they will be able to roll out rental schemes. If schools are getting support, they can do more for families. Many of them already do. They bend over backwards through their own fundraising but they need help. Low- and middle-income families need urgent help.

Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

I appreciate the Acting Chairman's indulgence. The reason for my tardiness was because the Oireachtas football team was playing a game in Mountjoy Prison. It was an event we felt strongly about that included a representative from all political groupings here. We saw the power of education. By pure coincidence, there was a deputation at the Oireachtas committee today to speak about the power of education in the prison system. A total of 70% of prisoners are early school leavers. I remember reading an article a couple of years ago about the fact that in the US, they can predict the number of prison cells they will need in 15 years judging by the literacy rates of ten-year-olds.

I raise my experience and that of colleagues across the House playing a football match in Mountjoy Prison today in the context of the issues of literacy and the most disadvantaged because they are connected to the issue of school costs. Far too many of our conversations in our school communities are not about education, children, child development, literacy or numeracy. They are about money. I feel like I have made this speech about 14 times. I am quite sure Deputy Ó Laoghaire, whom I thank for putting forward this motion, is sick of hearing me making the same speech over and over again but it is true that we have replaced the conversation in schools about children and education with a constant conversation about money. I was that teacher; I was that principal. You interact with the parent body on the basis of the money your school does not have to run itself so you chase the book money. Your parents' association effectively acts like a fundraising body. There are so many conversations about money.

Principals and teachers do not want to be dealing with the administration of money. They do not want to chase parents’ associations to raise money. It should be considered completely pathetic that a school has to fundraise for basic provisions. We know what will happen in X well-heeled community versus in Y not-so-well-heeled community when it comes to fundraising. Some will have the money, and some will not.

Schoolbooks in Northern Ireland are free. There is no reason schoolbooks should not be free in the Republic of Ireland. It would cost the Government €20 million at primary level and €20 million at secondary level. Voluntary contributions, as has been mentioned, are not voluntary. People feel as if they cannot fully engage in school life unless they come up with a voluntary contribution. How humiliating must it be for a parent who does not have the voluntary contribution to engage in school life when they feel that they are getting constant reminders about this voluntary contribution, which can be linked to the availability of a certain resource within the school, a locker, etc.? Surely, we need to ban that and just provide the €45 million that the Catholic Primary School Management Association suggests will be needed to replace that voluntary contribution funding. Let us do it. That is €40 million plus €45 million, which gives a total of €85 million. Making the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance available to all families and making universal payments will cost approximately €125 million. In totting up of those numbers, I have not even come halfway to the figure of €500 million, which the Government gave away in tax cuts last year. These are the arguments that we will make and that the Government will make over the next couple of months. The Government will talk to the country and to the squeezed middle about the tax burden. It will focus its attention on that €1 billion that it wants to throw away on tax cuts, rather than helping every citizen with their constitutional right to a free education.

The Department does not want a free books scheme because its officials want to have an arm’s length relationship with the school system. They think that it is a matter for patron bodies and for boards of management to run schools and that it is not for the Department to get involved. That is their attitude. It feels to me that they have the Minister and Minister of State that they want. They are driving the bus and the Minister and Minister of State are sitting on it. Whatever they say goes. There is no radical view to unburden parents of this money conversation and to let loose a conversation about children.

Can you imagine, a Chathaoirleach, how liberated a parent would be if they were able to go to a school gate and not be worried about being asked about money? Could you imagine how liberating it would be for a parent to go to a parent-teacher meeting and not to be worried about money? Could you imagine how liberating it would be for a parent to not worry about the child coming home from school with a reminder about money? I have not even spoken about the children yet. Could you imagine how liberating it would be for a child to be in a class and not to be reminded in various different subtle ways about money, such as book money, voluntary contribution, the fundraiser that is coming up, etc.?

While it is about the money, it is not just about the money; it is also about all those conversations that are being lost. This is about parents who may have had a difficult engagement with the education system. Maybe they were early school leavers or their experience in school was not the best and they would like to engage a little more. Sometimes fathers in education find it difficult to re-engage with the school. They find it daunting and intimidating. Would they be less or more likely to engage with school life or with a school community if it they thought that they were going to be asked about money? I would say that the answer is less.

The Government has flitted away €500 million on tax cuts for some people this year. It is determined to do cut twice that amount next year. Yet, it could lift the entire country and make people proud to be in an education system that provides books for free, does not ask for voluntary contributions and has the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance for everybody and replaces that really humiliating, debilitating feeling that people cannot engage in school life because they keep being asked for money.

I will sum up what I am saying. I have said it many times and I know that the Minister has heard it many times. I appreciate the opportunity afforded to me by Deputy Ó Laoghaire and the Acting Chairman for sandwiching me into the debate this evening. Education is so precious. You only know how precious education is when you meet those who did not have the opportunity to fulfil their potential within it. I met loads of them today.

Some 70% of prisoners are early school leavers while 17.9% of the adult population is functionally illiterate. One third of children who leave a primary DEIS school have basic reading difficulties. We have problems and, therefore, the issues we need to discuss regarding schools are education, literacy, diet, oral language, family literacy, school community engagement, sport, health, parenting and so on. Yet, the tragedy of the education system is that we spend so much time talking about money. The parents’ association is effectively a fundraising body, as are we as politicians. Let us be honest here. We all get the requests to take out advertisements from the local primary school or secondary school when it is running a fundraiser. Is that not pathetic? Can we all recast our brains for a second? Is it not pathetic that a politician would be asked to take out an advertisement by a primary school, which has to run a fundraiser to keep the lights on? Is that not pathetic? Can we all step back from this for a second and ask why we are not just funding the schools so they can keep the lights on and not constantly have to chase people for money or voluntary contributions?

Here are the maths. There must be €20 million for a primary school free book scheme, whereby nobody has to bother with a school book list anymore and the school just provides them. We would not have to worry about that anymore. There must be €20 million for second level. That amounts to €40 million. There must be €45 million to fund schools centrally and properly so they do not need to have voluntary contributions. There must be €125 million for a universal back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance scheme, notwithstanding the announcement that the Minister made earlier, which, I am quite sure, was on the foot of the motion that had been tabled. That is how the Government reacts. It wants to have some way of counteracting Opposition motions because it does not do the governing itself. I have not even come up to half the amount that, as I said, the Government flitted away in tax cuts last year. Please do something for families who want to talk about education and not about money, take this issue seriously and deliver on the right to free education, which has been a myth since it was enshrined in the Constitution so many years ago.

Deputy Joan Collins

I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire for tabling the motion, which is timely. It was part of the pressure that we have seen in the response from the Government in the past hour.

A good-quality free education should be a basic essential in a modern society. It is the norm in most advanced countries. However, free primary and secondary education in this country is a myth, as has been said. It is a theoretical concept that does not exist in reality. Adding to the stress of the current cost-of-living crisis for so many families is the concern of finding the money to cover the cost of sending their children back to school this September.

The motion notes a survey by the ILCU, which listed the average cost of sending a child to primary school at €1,186, and at €1,491 for a secondary school child. Many parents are forced to take out loans to cover these costs, as the Minister will be aware. There is a simple reason parents are faced with this problem. As with our public health service and with our other public services, our education system is grossly underfunded, especially at primary level. The capitation rate per pupil per day in a primary school is €1. It is just double that in a secondary school. In primary school, this amounts to €183 per pupil per annum. The capitation grant was cut from €200 in the austerity programme of the Fine Gael-Labour Party Government to €170. The current grant per pupil, if we take a school with 100 pupils and four classrooms, amounts to €18,300 for a year. This supposed to cover heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance and general upkeep. In theory, a proportion the grant is supposed to be set aside for teaching materials such as books and primers. In fact, schools are relying on parents and on local communities to the tune of €46 million per year, not for enhanced learning, but to cover the basics, such as heating and insurance.

When we compare the funding of primary education here with other countries, we are placed in the bottom 50% of the OECD countries. Our primary education spend is 11% below the EU average. As a start, the capitation grant needs to be restored immediately to the 2010 rate in a serious commitment to providing genuinely free education at primary and secondary school level.

Before the Minister's announcement a couple of hours ago, the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance was lower than it was in 2007. It did not cover the cost of books or other learning materials. Again, I support the call in the motion for its eligibility to be extended to up to 500,000 children and families that earn under €80,000. It is important as that demand is still there. I truly welcome the €100 increase in the back-to-school allowance the Minister announced this evening. Even at that, it will be hard to meet the costs families will face but it is definitely welcome. I am sure families will welcome it.

While on the subject, I refer to the issue of hot school meals. I welcome the fact that the Minister is extending that to the 310 DEIS schools with 60,000 pupils coming into the system. We are still way behind the norm that exists across the EU. With the launch of the pilot scheme for hot school meals in 2019, approximately 10% of children in primary schools availed of the service. It does not cater for secondary school pupils. We all remember the campaign by the football player, Marcus Rashford, for school meals for children during the school holidays, which forced Mr. Boris Johnson's Government to concede. We have to ask what Marcus Rashford would think of the situation here. We are so far behind that he would not know where to start. There was a commitment from the Minister to extend the scheme, which she has done this evening.

I will repeat what I said at the very beginning of my contribution. We need good quality, free education, which should be a basic essential in a modern society. Steps have been taken this evening to take the edge off the anxiety of parents and families, which is welcome, but much more still needs to be done with regard to free education.

Deputy Marian Harkin

I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire and Sinn Féin for bringing forward this very timely and important motion. This reflects the real concerns of many families, certainly those who are in contact with me and from what I hear from my colleagues in the House in this debate.

Throughout the country right now, many families are worrying about back-to-school costs and have been for many months. Families are trying to set a few bob aside week by week to buy books, or it might be a pair of trainers for PE, a new uniform jumper or a school tracksuit. There is a very long list of back-to-school requirements. Parents are counting how many weeks it is until the end of August so they can have enough money set aside in order that their child can go back to school, the same as all the other children. It is a major worry for families and they are under real pressure. None of us want to disappoint our children. It is vital that children are not seen as different from their friends and classmates and that they do not stand out because they do not have the school tracksuit or are outgrowing their uniform. It might seem like a little thing to some of us but for children to be able to blend in and have what others have is so important. Parents know this and they will do whatever they can to ensure their children have what they need to start the school year. Moneylenders know parents will pay the sky-high interest rates in order that their daughters and sons can hold their heads high, wear the same uniform and carry the same books and equipment.

Following its survey last year, the Irish League of Credit Unions showed that one quarter of parents are getting into debt. Approximately 21% of them have an average debt of €500 just to send their children back to school. It estimated that the cost of sending a child to primary school is just over €1,100, and it is €1,500 for secondary school. That is a very significant sum of money for any family per child but it is a huge sum for a family on low, fixed or middle incomes.

I listened to the Minister and heard the announcements that were made earlier today. She spoke about the €67 million, which is valuable, important and most welcome. Many parents, especially those who were worrying about paying for school transport, will be greatly relieved they will not have to pay and those who have paid will be anxiously awaiting their rebate. The increase in the back-to-school allowance is substantial. Mind you, it needs to be because, of course, it is less now than it was back in 2007.

One of the issues I have, however, is the income qualifying limits for families to qualify for this allowance. For a family with three children, the income level is under €38,000. Let us say one parent works 40 hours per week on the minimum wage of €12.50 per hour and the other parent is on disability allowance. That family with three children will be well above the qualifying limit. The Minister needs to look at that. The Sinn Féin proposal to include more than 500,000 extra families in qualifying for the back-to-school allowance is something the Minister should definitely look at and take seriously when it comes to the budget. As I said, I welcome that increase. The Minister also said she increased funding for a free book rental scheme. That is good but we need a commitment from the Minister and the Government that in the lifetime of this Government, all schoolbooks will be free. If the Minister could give us that commitment, people could believe Fianna Fáil is as invested in education as she tells us it is.

I mention the issue of voluntary contributions. If ever there was a misnomer, it is calling those contributions voluntary. In theory they are, but in practice they are not. Parents are expected to pay. They are under real pressure to cover the costs the capitation grant does not. We all know the cost of fuel, heating and lighting has escalated in recent months. What will schools do in September, October, November, December, January, February and right up to April next year as they try to keep the lights on and heat their school buildings? That means greater pressure on this so-called voluntary contribution. We will not hear it today but I ask that, in the budget, there will perhaps be an increase in the capitation grants. The rise in inflation this year and last year was 9%. Therefore, even if the Minister increased it by 10%, that would just be standing still. I ask the Minister to consider that in the budget.

Acting Chairman (Deputy Joe Carey)

Deputy Flaherty is sharing time with the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan.

Deputy Joe Flaherty

I thank the Minister of State for giving me some time. I commend the Minister, Deputy Foley, on her initiative and empathy this evening. Throughout her tenure, no other Minister has been more in tune with the challenges facing our families nationwide. Sinn Féin does not have a monopoly on change.

The Minister earlier this year unveiled one of the most expansive reviews ever and a rethinking of the DEIS model as we seek to tackle disadvantage in our education. She did not need to be prompted to remove school transport costs and secure an increase in the back-to-school allowance. This Minister will not be found wanting when it comes to delivering further measures and continually tackling the inequality that has evolved in our education system over several decades.

We saw €67 million in costs taken out of education this evening. Rest assured, in the fullness of time the Minister will tackle the vexed issues of school uniform costs, schoolbook costs and the euphemistic term, "voluntary contributions". Today's announcement is not an end result but it is very important step. I think every everybody in the House agrees we still need to reach out to the squeezed middle, those who face a tsunami of costs over the coming months. We need to continue to push for change in that regard.

Today's announcement is a very progressive move in the direction of change, however. I know the Minister will continually push for the elimination of disadvantage in our schools, be that in the area of schoolbooks, school uniforms or those magicked-up costs. Despite the scourge of Covid-19, I do not think any other Minister for Education has managed the scale and breadth of change and radical improvements in education this Minister has managed in just two short years. I thank the Minister of State for giving me leave to speak.

Minister of State at the Department of Education (Deputy Josepha Madigan)

On behalf of the Government, I welcome the opportunity to close what has been an informative debate on this very important matter. Indeed, the important issue of back-to-school costs was recognised by this Government in the programme for Government and a number of measures were set out in the programme to help address these costs. The Government is committed to reducing the burden on parents of children going back to school. That is why three key measures were announced this evening by the Government.

In recognition of the rising cost of living, the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, announced that an additional €100 will be paid in the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance. Almost 120,000 families will receive this payment automatically in respect of each qualifying child, with the remaining 30,000 receiving their payment over the coming weeks. This scheme is extremely important in supporting families to deal with what is a very expensive time of year. Today’s announcement brings the payment this year to €260 for children aged four to 11 years and to €385 for children aged 12 to 22 years. Overall, I expect this will benefit some 150,000 families this year, in respect of over 262,000 children. The eligibility for lone parents has been widened by increasing the income limits for single-parent families to match those of two-parent families.

I have also mentioned improvements already made, and being made, in the area of school transport. This allowance will also be paid to families who are availing of the temporary protection directive for Ukraine, and they will receive it on the same eligibility criteria as for Irish parents. It was also announced earlier that the 310 newly designated DEIS schools can avail of the school meals programme this year, benefiting almost 60,000 additional children. This includes over 270 additional primary schools that may provide hot school meals to their pupils in the next school year. We have introduced these measures to reduce back-to-school costs and to help families who are struggling.

Regarding transport, the Government announced that to help struggling families with back-to-school costs, anyone who has applied for and receives a school transport ticket for the academic year 2022-23 will not be charged a fee for the school bus ticket this year. The programme for Government contains a commitment to review the school transport scheme and, in line with this commitment, my Department commenced a major review of the scheme in February 2021. This review, which encompasses the school transport scheme for children with special educational needs, is still under way.

In more general funding, the Department provided approximately €300 million in capitation-related funding to primary schools and approximately €264 million to post-primary schools in 2021. This funding is provided to meet the day-to-day running costs of schools, including heating, lighting and insurance.

Primary and post-primary schools in the free education system are not permitted to charge any form of mandatory fee. Voluntary contributions may be sought from parents provided it is made clear to them that there is no compulsion to pay, and that a child’s place in the school, or continued enrolment there, is not dependent on a willingness to make a contribution. The manner in which voluntary contributions are sought and collected is a matter for school management, but their collection should be such as not to create a situation where either parents or pupils could reasonably infer that the contributions take on a compulsory character. No charge may be made in respect of instruction in any subject of the school curriculum or for recreation or other activities in which all pupils are expected to take part. Where voluntary contributions are sought from parents, it must be made clear to all families that the contributions are voluntary in nature and that their payment or non-payment of these fees will have no bearing on their child’s place within the school.

The Minister, Deputy Foley, the Department and I are well aware of the matters raised in the motion concerning back-to-school costs, and especially in the context of rising cost-of-living expenses generally and rising energy costs, in particular. I have outlined some of the many measures that the Government and, in particular, the Department of Education and the Department of Social Protection have taken and are taking to lessen the burden placed on families by these costs and expenses. I thank the Deputies once more for their contributions to today’s important debate.

Deputy Pat Buckley

I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire for bringing forward this extremely important motion. Back-to-school costs each year shamefully expose the deep divide that exists in our society between rich and poor. What sickens me to the stomach at this time of the year is thinking of children who are all too aware of what their parents are facing and what they have to struggle with, and they can do little about it aside from suffer anxiety, fear and, in many cases, even embarrassment.

The measures proposed by Sinn Féin in the motion - increasing the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance, extending the allowance to middle-income earners, rolling out a fully free books scheme, allowing universal affordable school uniforms and reducing school transport fees - are desperately needed. I am glad that the Government has woken up to the reality of what going back to school actually costs. By all means, I welcome some of the proposals. They might not have gone far enough, but I urge the Minister to implement them as soon as possible. I am glad the Government has responded to the pressure from this side of the House.

I have listened to a number of debates on this issue. The one that hits me very hard, and I even have an email with me about it, is the voluntary contributions. The Minister said in her opening statement that, "No charge may be made...". The word "may" is very weak. It should be no charge "will" be made. It causes a lot of hassle. I say that because it is probably the most cruel charge on parents and children. They cannot hide from it at any time. We have all heard the stories about children not getting lockers because money has been held back. I suspect that is going to happen unless we strengthen it.

I make an appeal to everybody in the education sector to be extra sensitive in this year of all years. People, families and children are struggling. It hits everybody. The big worry I have is the impact on vulnerable children and their families. They could be psychologically scarred. Many times we do not get on very well on either side of the House, but we can come to agreement on this issue.

I commend Deputy Ó Laoghaire on the motion and the amount of work that went into it. These are not ideas; they are solutions. It is to be hoped this country will have one of the best education systems in a number of years.

Deputy Matt Carthy

I commend Deputy Ó Laoghaire not only on this motion but on forcing the Government to a point where, despite its protestations, it was unable to hide from the fact that measures had to be introduced to support families with the costs of sending their children back to school. I welcome the measures that were announced today. I particularly welcome the announcement of free school transport, and I hope it will become a permanent measure. I also hope the school transport scheme will be expanded so we can get rid of the ludicrous situation where school buses in my constituency are passing children who have to get into the family car to get to school because they do not qualify under the arbitrary criteria that are in place.

With regard to the financial packages that have been announced, I wish to put on the record extracts from a letter I received this morning. It states:

I am a 30-year-old full-time working mother of three and have worked from when I was 16. I got married at 24 and have never been on benefits. In 2020 we bought our home and in December 2021 I had my third child. I had to return to work in March of this year, three months after having that baby, as the €250 a week payment was not enough to keep food in my children's mouths and a roof over their head. My husband also works full-time but due to the increase in costs it was just not possible for me to stay at home any longer. The government have added an extra two weeks for parental leave, which is wonderful, but what about the mothers who cannot even take the six months maternity leave off because of affordability issues? In September I will have two children attending school and recently I went to apply for the back to school allowance. I didn't even get past the first stage because the question was "Which of the following payments are you receiving?". As I said previously, none, so therefore I am not entitled. I cannot afford the €1,000 on school supplies. I also have child care to pay and again I am not entitled to any subsidies. This is an unfair situation.

I have no option but to write back to that mother and tell her that nothing has been provided by the Government today for her situation because it has not extended the eligibility criteria for the back-to-school allowance. According to Minister after Minister, no other measures will be in place until the end of September, a month after her children go back to school. I again appeal to the Government to introduce an emergency budget that will provide supports for families such as the family of this mother.

Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil le gach Teachta a ghlac páirt sa díospóireacht seo agus le gach duine a thacaigh leis an rún seo. Is ábhar fíorthábhachtach é seo agus tuigimid go léir go mbeidh go leor tuismitheoirí agus teaghlaigh faoi bhrú millteanach sna seachtainí beaga amach anseo. Beidh an-imní orthu nuair a gheobhaidh siad na litreacha ag iarraidh fordheontas, na liostaí leabhair, liostaí na gcultacha scoile, agus na táillí eile a bhaineann leo sin. Níl aon dabht ach gur géarchéim í seo gach bliain ach go háirithe an bhliain seo, leis an ngéarchéim costas maireachtála ag éirí níos measa agus gan puinn gnímh ó thaobh cíosa agus le costais chúraim leanaí ag fás i gcónaí. Tá na costais ó thaobh bia, breosla agus leictreachais ag fás an t-am ar fad. Sa chomhthéacs sin, tá an-imní orainn go mbeidh an ghéarchéim ó thaobh costas fillte ar scoil níos measa ná riamh.

I thank all the Deputies who took part in the debate and who supported the motion. I urge the Government to also support it because it contains the potential to build on what the Government has brought forward. I very much concur with what Deputy Barry said. This Government would have shut up shop and gone to the recess without any proposals to assist with back-to-school costs, but for the fact pressure was coming from the Sinn Féin motions and proposals-----

Deputy Matt Carthy

Hear, hear.

Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

-----and from other organisations as well.

I welcome the steps that have been taken. They will undoubtedly help those on the lowest incomes, but there are many people who will not benefit. As I said, people will watch the news tonight who will say these measures are good and will wonder what they will get out of them. These people could be struggling on quite low incomes, but they will not benefit. A family with a combined household income of more than €620 per week, with one child in school, will not qualify. That is about €32,000 a year, which is not a big income. It is very far from a big income. These are exactly the kinds of people who are trying to decide whether they can afford to go ahead with their holidays, whether they can afford the electricity bills that are coming down the line, and whether they will have to go to the credit union or a moneylender. These are all decisions families will have to make. It is not the case, unfortunately, that those people who hope to benefit from these measures will do so.

It does not require legislation to extend payments such as these. I welcome what has been brought forward today and I urge the Minister to implement it as soon as possible. I also acknowledge the area of free school meals, which we included in our pre-budget submissions. We want to eventually get to a place where every child gets a hot meal in school. That will take time. We need to start with Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools students, which we have advocated for a number of years. We looked for assistance for low- and middle-income earners, broadly. It is not about benefiting those on the very highest incomes who are in a certain position, but those who have a combined household income of €80,000 or less who would be in a position to benefit, and get some assistance, because many of them are under very severe pressure.

I urge the Minister to go from here and implement what she has put forward today. We disagree with none of that, but she should build upon it. We do not need to pass legislation. The Minister can, over the course of the next week or two, sit down with the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and whoever else, to agree a formula to extend the back to education allowance to those who do not qualify for it. They need assistance. Just because they fall above the threshold does not mean they will not ring the Society of St. Vincent de Paul or organisations like it. That does not mean that at all.

We have outlined a particular proposal. Even if the Minister does not go as far as we have outlined, I ask her to do something for those people. I ask her to please invest some time to build on what has happened today and ensure that people who have missed out can stand to benefit by some amount. Otherwise, they will be under severe pressure. We will still be talking about this over the course of the summer months unless those people get some assistance. I am not just talking about Sinn Féin but society as a whole. Those families will ring the Minister's constituency office, and those of the Minister of State, mine, and Deputies Carthy and Buckley. All of us will still get phone calls unless something is done to assist those people. That door is not closed. It should not be closed. I urge the Minister to first support our motion calling for these proposals, consider what we have brought forward and please implement something that goes some way to assist those people.

Question put and agreed to.