I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion. I thank the Labour Party for bringing it forward. The cost of sending children to school has become increasingly unacceptable. Education should be the great equaliser but for too many families the start of the school year brings anxiety, stress and impossible financial decisions. No parent should have to worry about whether they can afford a school uniform, a so-called voluntary contribution or, increasingly, an expensive digital device simply to ensure their child can participate fully in class. Digital devices alone cost hundreds of euro - up to €800. The Government insists they are not needed and not mandatory but guidance without enforcement offers no comfort at all. The resulting growing digital divide risks creating a two-tier education system where a family's income determines whether a child can fully participate in learning. That is completely unacceptable. The burden does not end there. The most recent cost of education survey shows parents are now paying almost €1,800 each year for a child in primary school and almost €3,000 per year for a child in secondary school. Even more worrying is that the number of parents taking loans to cover these costs has doubled in just one year. That should be a wake-up call for the Government. Instead of easing the pressure, this Government has reintroduced State examination fees, increased school transport charges and reduced a range of cost-of-living supports for schools and for families. Parents continue to subsidise the education system through so-called voluntary contributions because schools remain chronically underfunded. Principals are struggling to cover basic costs such as heating, electricity and insurance and families should not be expected to bridge the gap. While I welcome the Labour Party bringing forward this motion, we cannot forget that much of the funding crisis in education was compounded by a Labour Party education Minister, Ruairí Quinn, who slashed funding to schools - vital capitation and grants that still have not recovered. It was a Labour Party Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton, who, among other vital supports, cut the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance. Funding for schools and school-going children must be protected above practically everything else. They are just that important to the health of our society. Sinn Féin has consistently put forward practical and costed proposals to reduce the financial burden on families. We would properly fund schools so that voluntary contributions could finally be abolished. We have introduced legislation to reduce school uniform costs by ending restrictive single-supplier arrangements that leave parents paying inflated prices. We would restore funding for ICT and provide proper support for digital devices, so that no child is disadvantaged because his or her family cannot afford expensive technology. We would expand school transport, reverse the reintroduction of State examination fees, and ensure that supports such as the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance continue to help families meet the real cost of education. The cost-of-living crisis has not disappeared simply because the Government has stopped talking about it. Families know that every euro counts. They feel the pressure every time they buy groceries, pay a bill, or prepare their children for school. Education is a right, not a privilege. Access to learning should never depend on a parent's ability to take out a loan or put another bill on a credit card. This motion provides an opportunity for the Government to recognise the reality facing families and, importantly, to act. Sinn Féin will support it because we believe every child deserves the best possible start in life and every parent deserves a Government that stands with them rather than adding to their financial burden.

Sentiment score: 0.07

What about the Tories?

Sentiment score: 0.00