Immediate Government intervention needed to ease back-to-school costs, Murphy says

The Government must intervene and not wait for this year’s Budget to lower the back-to-school costs for families, People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has said.

Speaking today following reports that borrowing for back-to-school costs from credit unions is on the rise, the Dublin South-West TD said the Government cannot wait for Budget 2022 to deal with the matter.

The TD said that there were a number of measures that the Government could take to ease the burden on families with children returning to school.

He cited free school meals and free school transport as two measures that the Government could take “to take the edge off the crisis facing people”, along with the abolition of all back to school charges including all voluntary contributions, books and uniform costs.

“As reported today we can see that credit unions are reporting that loan applications for back to school costs have increased.

“On top of the rising cost of energy, food and fuel these parents are being hit with back to school costs.

“With this crisis on top of a crisis for parents with children going back to school, People Before Profit are calling on the government to bridge the gap between now and the budget and introduce free school meals for all school going children and free school transport.

“We are also calling on the government to abolish all back to school charges including all voluntary contributions, books and uniform costs.

“The government cannot allow a situation where parents are left in the lurch between now and the budget at the end of September,” he said.