If we truly live in a Republic, we need to deal with the myth of free education. I have two children going to secondary school: one in TY and the other doing the junior cert. I have been through a lot of the cycle. My wife and I can afford the costs imposed but, over the summer, numerous families will be coming to my clinics saying they cannot afford what is ahead of them. In a Republic and a wealthy country like ours, we need to call out this myth. I acknowledge the advances made on schoolbooks but when we talk about the cost of laptops and iPads, there is no point in telling parents about the circular and the Minister saying they are not mandatory. There is not a single parent who does not want to do the best for their children. If a certain percentage of students in the school have these devices, instead of saying they are not mandatory, we should ensure everybody is on a level playing field as we head into the 2026-2027 school year. That is the way we should be looking at it. In many schools, there is a digital divide, which is completely and utterly unacceptable. Many people come to me about the ongoing costs they are facing. One woman told me her daughter is going into TY and the cost the family is budgeting for is well over €1,000. They considered not letting her do TY - letting her instead advance straight into fifth year - because they would not be able to afford it. That is not a choice any family should be having to make. There are the issues of transport fees, stationery fees, the ridiculous voluntary contributions, transition year, branded school uniforms and €300 for a PE uniform, which is insane. My colleague, Deputy Eoghan Kenny, whom I want to commend, has outlined what we need to do to deal with these issues, namely, capitation grants, ICT grants, back to school allowances and all of that. I ask the Minister to please listen to the Labour Party. Our party truly believes that, when we in a republic say that we have free education, it should really mean free education.

Sentiment score: 0.27