Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 July 2026
38. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures she intends to bring forward to reduce the cost of returning to school for families in Budget 2027; whether she has engaged with the Minister for Social Protection on this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53890/26]
View answerI know that for many parents, the start of a new school year can be a financially stressful time.
That is why this Government has made affordability a central focus of our education policy.
The programme for government commits to providing free schoolbooks to all children in the free education system and introduce changes as needed to the operation of this scheme.
In 2025 the Free Books scheme was extended to Senior Cycle students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. As a result, in the last school year, for the first time, all children and young people enrolled in primary, special and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme were provided with schoolbooks/eBooks and core classroom resources.
The scheme will continue to be implemented in all Free Education Scheme schools in the 2026/27 academic year.
With a total funding package of over €160 million available for the coming school year, the Schoolbooks Scheme will continue to benefit almost one million children and young people and is helping to ease the financial burden facing families at back-to-school time.
I am keenly aware of the challenges faced by educators and parents in relation to the costs of digital technology, including tablets, and my department continues to work to help support schools and families meet these costs.
The Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 and its associated implementation plan is underpinned by funding of €200m over the course of the strategy, committed to under Ireland’s National Development Plan (NDP). The funding allocation model is provided for in the National Development Plan and commits to funding to issue over the period of the NDP, applied by the Department for the Digital Strategy duration (to 2027 for the current strategy). Including the funding recently issued, to date, a total of €170 million of the €200 million committed to in the NDP for the strategy has issued to schools through the ICT grant.
I recently communicated directly with all schools and boards of management, clarifying my department’s position that there is no requirement for a personal device for Junior or Senior Cycle and I requested schools to be cognisant of the views of parents in relation to the use of digital devices and the associated costs. I stressed the need for schools to engage with all parents - and not just the Parent's Association - before deciding on an approach regarding devices.
School uniform policy has traditionally been a matter for the Board of Management of each school, reflecting local needs and traditions.
As part of my department’s commitment to reducing financial pressure on families, work has commenced to review Circular 32/2017, which outlines measures to reduce the costs of school uniform and other costs. A revised circular will place a stronger emphasis on reducing costs for parents.
Schools work best when they engage openly with parents and students, listening to their views as well as keeping them informed. The Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill, which is scheduled for Committee Stage after the summer recess, will require schools to consult parents and students on key policies and activities. It will strengthen communication, transparency and partnership, including on the management of back-to-school costs.
The Department of Social Protection provide a number of schemes to assist families with school costs.
The Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The scheme has been extended this year to include children aged 2 and 3 and now covers eligible children between the ages of 2 and 17 and 18 and 22 if returning to second level education.
As of 10 July 2026, payments totalling €48.8m have already been awarded to over 126,000 families, in respect of over 233,000 children. These payments began issuing to these families from this week.
Families on low incomes who have difficulty with additional costs associated with children returning to school can also apply for an Additional Needs Payment. These payments are administered through the Department of Social Protection’s Community Welfare Service, which can be contacted at 0818 607080.
The Department of Social Protection School Meal Scheme supports some 3,700 schools and 682,000 children across all meal types. This equates to the distribution of up to 3.4 million school meals per week. Of those all 3,200 primary schools and 550,000 children are eligible for a Hot School Meal.
The objective of the School Meals Scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The Scheme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.
The School Meals budget for 2026 is €286 million. The Financial benefit to primary school families for each child in receipt of a Hot School Meal is €576 for the academic year.
As we look ahead to Budget 2027, my priority remains clear: to continue delivering on the commitments set out in the Programme for Government and to support students, staff, and families across the education sector.
In the lead-up to the Budget, my department is engaging with a wide range of stakeholders which include contributions from education partners, as well as organisations involved in broader areas of public policy. As in previous years, these submissions will be carefully considered and will help shape the specific priorities I will be advocating for in Budget 2027.
As I am sure the Deputy appreciates, it would not be appropriate for me to outline any more specific plans at this stage of the budgetary process.
