Families struggling with back-to-school costs, TDs say

Schools and the Dáil may be off for summer holidays, but the cost-of-living crisis is still playing on in the background.

Prior to the Dáil’s summer recess, local opposition TDs said that the government needs to do more to reduce back-to-school costs for households.

A Labour motion said that a “digital divide” has emerged within the Irish education system, where education is nominally free, but hidden costs such as electronics and the so-called “voluntary” contribution system have added to costs for households already struggling to make ends meet.

Dublin North-West and Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne said “it is important to have a discussion about the context of education costs and back-to-school costs,” and that “massive inequality” is a driver of high costs.

Hearne stated, “the gap between the haves and the have-nots is worsening year after year while we have 11 billionaires in this country who have a combined wealth equal to that of 3.5 million people or two-thirds of the population.”

“The top 10% in this country have 50% of all the wealth while half the population own just 10% of the wealth.”

Hearne said, “we see the reality of that on a daily basis. In Ballymun, Finglas and across this country, families are struggling to pay for the very basics, and one of those is back-to-school costs, the cost of education.”

He said that “education should be free,” and is a “human right.”

“However, what it is actually doing is throwing families into even more stress on top of not being able to pay the basic bills.”

Hearne paid tribute to the Feed Our Homeless campaign, which organised a pop-up shop for local families, with the aim of providing help for families in need of school uniforms and shoes.

In a nation that has reported repeat Budget surpluses and high GDP growth in recent years, those statistics are not trickling down to communities on the Northside.

“This year families are struggling so much they are reporting they are already dealing with being cut off from electricity and gas,” Hearne said.

“Families and services are asking for support again. Families are finding it extremely challenging. One in five children in this country lives in a family below the poverty line after housing costs. Children and families cannot cover the basics.”

With kite-flying taking place in lieu of the Dáil being out of session, government and opposition TDs are laying out what they want in a Budget.

Hearne said that a second tier of child benefit would lift 55,000 children out of poverty but claimed that the government “will not do it.”

“It costs the same as what it has given in tax breaks to developers, investor funds and large fast-food giants,” he said, in reference to the VAT cut given to restaurants and publicans in last year’s Budget.

“Childhoods pass quickly. No child should have their future limited by poverty. Every child deserves a fair start in life and a chance to thrive,” he said.

Hearne said that “child poverty is not inevitable,” and claimed, “it is a policy choice.”

“It results from decades of policy choices that have not prioritised child poverty. We need to end child poverty in this country, and we can. Part of it is ensuring education is free and school costs are provided for. Ultimately, it is about ensuring families can cover the basics.”

Further west, Dublin West TDs Paul Donnelly and Roderic O’Gorman said that constituents are feeling the pressure of paying for back-to-school costs.

Sinn Féin TD Donnelly noted, “there is no doubt that costs are rising and putting families under severe pressure over the summer months.”

“At a time when children and young people are at home and with the good weather, constant demands on parents’ budgets are causing massive concern.”

Donnelly’s demand was simple – he said “we need to see the end of the so-called voluntary contributions.”

He noted “I understand why schools look for them; they are trying to keep the lights on and trying to keep toilet rolls in bathrooms.”

“It is the basic stuff they cannot afford. They cannot afford these things because of the gaps in funding.”

Voluntary contribution fees, much like the Universal Social Charge, were introduced in the aftermath of the 2008 economic crash as temporary measures that have somehow fashioned their way into becoming permanent fixtures of modern Irish life.

Donnelly identified another issue that faces parents: single-supplier arrangements.

In most cases, books, uniforms, and supplies can only be purchased from one specific provider, which in turn creates a monopoly. 

The recent addition of digital devices to the household budget is another target that Donnelly took aim at.

He stated, “it is bizarre that the state does not fund digital devices. What is the point of free school books when people have to find hundreds of euro to pay for devices?”

“In a country that is home to most of the largest IT and social media companies in the world, surely, we must be leading the way in terms of technology in our schools.”

The Sinn Féin TD provided evidence that the government has cut €15 million from the ICT grants for schools, meaning that of all the schools across Ireland, there is only a pot of €35 million. 

Donnelly noted a recent survey puts the cost of education at €1,794 for primary school and €2,928 for post-primary education.

He called the statistics “shocking,” especially when viewed through the lens of the cost-of-living crisis.

“We are often told that Ireland is a world leader in terms of quality educational systems. What we need is fair and equitable access to the education system for all of our children and young people. We often talk about nobody being left behind. I can tell the Minister that there are children all over this State who are being left behind,” he said.

O’Gorman, who served as Minister for Children in the last government, said that the introduction of free school books was a positive legacy, but it has since been erased by the increasing cost of technology for students.

The Green TD and leader said that free school books made a “big difference,” for families, but that has since been cancelled out.

“The increasing frequency with which laptops and tablets are being made mandatory for students is seriously undermining that progress,” he said.

“In many cases, the cost of ICT equipment is ending up being greater than the cost of schoolbooks ever was.”

O’Gorman noted that a parent communicated to him that back to school costs relate to a mandatory laptop with a cost of over €700. 

He explained, “parents have been told by the school in question that these laptops will only be used for five years, which will necessitate another expensive purchase for Leaving Certificate year.”

“Aside from the cost factor, there is the clear issue of creating additional waste through ICT equipment that cannot be passed on to new students,” he said.

O’Gorman suggested that a grant be introduced for families to afford the likes of laptops and tablets.

“This is only one issue we need to address in terms of child poverty and school costs. There are many more. We need additional child benefit, we need to increase the back-to-school allowance to deal with rising uniform costs, and we need to boost funding for the school meals scheme in order to maximise quality nutrition as well,” he said.