I, too, am glad to be able to speak on this motion today. I compliment Páirtí an Lucht Oibre for introducing it. While we often the cost of education in terms of books, uniforms and transport, the reality for many families is that the financial pressures associated with rearing children have never been greater. I acknowledge that the schoolbooks scheme has been a positive development. It has delivered genuine savings and a significant burden has been removed from parents in many households. That support has made a real difference and it is important that we recognise it. However, parents are telling us that the savings are increasingly being swallowed up by a wide range of other costs. The loss of the double child benefit payment and other cost-of-living supports has come at a time when families are facing rising bills across every aspect of daily life. Parents are not just paying for education. They are paying more for food, energy, insurance, childcare and gach rud eile. One issue that deserves particular attention is the cost of extracurricular activities. Too often, participation in these activities depends not on a child's talent or interest, but on the ability of the parents to pay. This is creating an uneven divide and it has denied opportunities to many children. It is downright wrong. It should not be like that. If parents have enthusiasm for music or something like that, whatever talent the child has, they should be nurtured. "Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí" used to be the old adage. Music education is a perfect example. Some schools provide excellent music programmes and opportunities for students to learn instruments and participate in assemblies. Other schools offer very little. Where lessons are available privately, parents can be paying up to €25 a lesson and more before the cost of purchasing and maintaining the instruments. For many families, this is simply beyond their reach. These experiences are highly important to a child's development, confidence, which has never been more important, and well-being, yet too many families are being priced out. We must recognise the growing cost associated with uniforms. Despite the guidance promoting affordable uniforms, many parents are still required to purchase expensive crested and branded items. Parents also face substantial bills simply because they are required to buy specific items from a specific supplier. That is not fair and is not a balanced market either. There is no good reason that generic uniforms or PE clothing cannot be used in most cases. Parents should have the freedom to shop around and buy affordable items themselves. Competition is the spice of trade. It keeps the price down. Alongside these pressures, parents are increasingly faced with the expectation that they provide laptops and other digital devices for their children. While technology is important, why should parents be carrying that cost? Families have benefited from the schoolbooks scheme. We should be creative and try to assist families in purchasing this expensive and necessary equipment. The point has been made earlier that they are on their laptops all day in school and then they go home and are on social media all night. It is not good for the holistic development of the children and young adults.

Sentiment score: 0.15