FAMILIES face
a bill of €340 to send a child back to school,
according to figures released by Donegal Sinn Féin.
Councillor Marie Therese Gallagher expressed concern
for young cash-strapped families in the county as
back-to-school time approaches.
“This week I was speaking to a parent who had just
spent €340 getting one child ready for school. As a
parent myself this is not a revelation but a reality
and I am fully aware of the pressures on families at
this time of year," said Cllr Gallagher.
"Revelations last week that the cost of educating a
child through to third level is more than €61,000
puts an end to the myth of free education in
Ireland. These costs are hardest felt by those
families on low and middle incomes."
The county councillor claimed the Back To School
Allowance was now inadequate.
"The income limit to qualify for the scheme is too
low at present and needs to be increased. Similarly,
the third level grants system is failing our third
level students and needs to be increased."
Referring to Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe's
proposal to reintroduce third level fees for the
better off, Cllr Gallagher asked: "Is this Fianna
Fáil led Government truly interested in building a
knowledge-based economy and providing free and equal
education for all the children of Ireland regardless
of their financial circumstances?” It is obvious
that with the current policies of this Government
that the simple answer to that question is 'No'. "
She called for current policy to be "updated
immediately" to meet the needs of the people.
"An increase in the Back to Education Allowance, a
raising of the thresholds for eligibility of the
allowance, an increase in the third level
maintenance grant and a commitment to scrap
proposals to introduce third level fees would go
some way to addressing the massive financial
pressures faced by students and parents," she added. |
