I thank my Labour Party colleague, Deputy Kenny, for tabling this important motion which highlights a massive issue for many families across the country. The cost of education report by Zurich shows the annual cost of sending a child to primary school is €1,794. Sending a child to secondary school is even more expensive at €2,928. This means parents could be paying anything up to €32,000 just to put their child through what is supposed to be free education. The Labour Party is clear that free education means free. It does not mean voluntary contributions, State examination fees or €700-plus on laptops or tablets. Uniform costs are putting financial pressure on working families who, in most cases, do not qualify for the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance. Parents contacting my office tell me they are forced to go to one supplier due to the requirement for school branding. These parents pay over €160 on uniforms and over €100 on shoes for secondary school students, according to a recent report by the Irish League of Credit Unions. It is a lot for parents who are struggling with the cost of living. Government needs to intervene and mandate schools to introduce non-branded uniform clothing so parents can shop around for the most affordable prices. I previously raised the ongoing issue of digital devices for students in this Chamber. This continues to be a source of concern for many working families and there is no clarity on whether these devices are mandatory. I have received three responses from the Minister's Department which state there is no requirement for digital devices in junior or senior cycle. The Minister has stated this in the replies and confirmed it to schools as well, yet principals and teachers have highlighted to me that the curriculum mandates digital devices for additional assessment components, AACs. I raised this in a parliamentary question to which the Minister replied, "There is no requirement currently under the new subject specifications for students to have their own laptops or devices; or devices of a particular type." This is extremely confusing for many school communities and parents who are having to bear the costs of these devices. Working families coming into my office are being told they must pay €700 or more for these devices and that they can only be bought from a particular supplier. People from all over the country tell me there is no free education in Ireland any more. One dad told me he had to buy three laptops, one for each of his three children. That will cost him over €2,000 - a cost the Minister's Department is saying he does not need to incur. That is before uniform costs and voluntary contributions are factored in. A family in County Meath tell me they are paying €600 while another in Cork tell me they are paying the same. Parents are paying up to €1,000 for laptops. Members can imagine the pressure that is putting on families. Some have to pay insurance on top of this, which is adding another €100 to the cost. Families in Kildare, Meath, Cork, Dublin, Wicklow, Waterford, Longford, Tipperary and throughout the country are contacting me and other Labour Party members saying they do not know how they will afford these costs. The cost of education keeps increasing year on year. Government was rightly praised for introducing the free books scheme but parents tell me that what the scheme gives on one hand is being taken away by the cost of laptops on the other. It is time for the Minister and her Department to provide clarity to school communities and parents by making a statement to the Dáil on this matter. We cannot let parents spend the summer months worrying about this. Every year, Bus Éireann and the Department of education places enormous pressure on those applying for school transport, which is another cost. This is a massive issue for many parents in my constituency of Kildare South who are fighting every year for a place for their child. Even if they are lucky enough to get a place, these families could face paying up to €200 for primary school transport and €220 for secondary school transport. In a cost-of-living crisis, this is an attack on working families who are doing their best to get their children to school and to get to work on time. When we factor in voluntary contributions, digital devices, uniforms, State examination fees, mock examination fees, school transport fees and more, we no longer have free education. We no longer have equal starts for each of our children. The Government needs to deliver on the State's promise of free education. We ask it to listen to the Labour Party, to parents and to school communities, and to show up for workers.

Sentiment score: 0.05