The government cannot continue to turn a blind eye to exorbitant back-to-school costs faced by families, according to Social Democrats TD Jen Cummins.<\/p>\n
Deputy Cummins, who is the party\u2019s education spokesperson, said:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe findings of the 2025 Irish League of Credit Unions’ annual back-to-school survey are stark. Parents now spend an average of \u20ac1,450 to send a child to primary school and \u20ac1,560 for a student in secondary school. These represent year-on-year increases of \u20ac364 and \u20ac159 respectively, bringing the financial burden placed on families to unsustainable levels.<\/p>\n
\u201cParents across Ireland are being pushed to the limit just to get their children through the school gates in September. We are not just talking about pens and copies anymore \u2013 this is about expensive branded uniforms, tablets, extra curriculars and so-called \u2018voluntary contributions\u2019 that are anything but optional.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is absolutely disgraceful that families are taking out loans just to afford basic education costs.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the most frustrating elements is that successive governments have known what needs to be done for nearly a decade. In 2017, the Department of Education issued a circular which provided clear guidelines for schools to reduce costs for parents. These included replacing expensive crested uniforms with generic alternatives that could be bought from multiple retailers; using iron-on or sew-on crests; reducing the use of short-lived workbooks; and expanding book rental schemes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat circular was supposed to be a roadmap for reducing back-to-school costs. However, eight years later we are still waiting for it to be implemented in a meaningful way.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe situation with technology is particularly concerning. Many schools now require parents to purchase specific tablets or iPads, often costing hundreds of euro. These devices, while useful, place a huge strain on household budgets and are often tied to specific suppliers or platforms chosen by the schools without proper consideration of affordability.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn top of this, parents must also pay for sports gear, school tracksuits, after-school care, and other hidden costs that can easily add hundreds more to the total bill.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are also limitations to the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, which currently stands at \u20ac160 for primary and \u20ac285 for secondary school students. These payments are nowhere near enough to cover what parents are actually spending. It\u2019s little wonder that families are finding themselves in debt to the tune of around \u20ac376 as the new school term approaches.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Minister for Education must finally enforce the guidelines laid out in 2017. I am also urging the government to roll out a nationwide scheme for affordable digital devices; increase the back-to-school allowance in line with actual costs; and, once and for all, eliminate \u2018voluntary\u2019 contributions that are putting further pressure on struggling families.<\/p>\n
\u201cEducation is supposed to be free in this country. But that ideal is meaningless when families are dipping into savings, borrowing money, or sacrificing household essentials just to keep up with school demands.\u201d<\/p>\n
July 16, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The government cannot continue to turn a blind eye to exorbitant back-to-school costs faced by families, according to Social Democrats TD Jen Cummins. Deputy Cummins, who is the party\u2019s education spokesperson, said: \u201cThe findings of the 2025 Irish League of Credit Unions’ annual back-to-school survey are stark. Parents now spend an average of \u20ac1,450 to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12900,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[218,581,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13119","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-jen-cummins","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n