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MORE THAN ONE-in-four parents are getting into debt in order to cover the costs of sending their children back to school.
A new survey by the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) found that nearly half (46%) of parents struggling to manage costs have cancelled or reduced non-essential service or activities to cover rising costs, with almost a quarter (23%) trying to earn additional income.
Of the 716 parents surveyed in June, 62% said that covering the cost of back to school is a financial burden, a decline of 10% on last year.
According to the findings, parents are now spending €1,401 per secondary school child, up €113 on last year. The cost of sending a primary school child to school is down €66 at €1,086.
More than half (53%) of parents said they feel pressured to buy branded clothing, footwear, and other items for their children, up 11% from 2021.
Some 56% of parents said that the increasing costs of food for children for school lunches is the biggest effect of the rising back to school costs, followed by increasing costs of new school uniforms (54%) and school trips of activities (52%).
Two-in-three (67%) parents believe that schools don’t do enough to help keep the costs of going back to school down.
Some 13% of parents said they have to sacrifice spending on food to cover back to school costs, while 31% said family holidays are the biggest sacrifice to cover the costs.
ILCU CEO David Malone said the findings show that Government initiatives like the Free School Books scheme do seem to have eased the financial burden for some families.
“However, there is a still an onerous cost burden on parents with increasing levels of associated debt linked to schooling and the cost of living,” Malone said.
The average level of debt is €368, an increase of €62 on last year. Some 32% of parents have debts of over €500.
While many parents use income or savings for back to school costs, 19% said they use a credit card.
“Interest is applied to the full remaining balance with the rates being charged here ranging from 14% to over 25%. In addition, if you miss your minimum payment, debt can accumulate,” Malone said.
The survey also found that 86% of parents with schoolchildren say their income or household costs have been affected by rising costs of living, with 91% of those affected experiencing additional grocery costs and 89% seeing additional costs to utility bills.
“Overall, we want parents of both primary and secondary students to know credit unions are here to help plan out and manage these expenses.
“As not-for-profit organisations, established in communities all across Ireland, we understand the impact of these important costs on households, and we would encourage anyone who has concerns to talk to their local credit union.”
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People, not parties,, are elected to Dáil Éireann.
Depriving TDs speaking time because of internal party matters is an affront to democracy.
Kevin, all TD’s have the right to speak, but there is an order placed upon that right so that the larger parties are afforded the opportunity first, representative of their greater respresentative clout.
This system is required for the efficient and orderly debate of particular issues.
If you want to priorotise certain TD’s based on electoral clout then give the TD with the most votes priority. Not the party with most members.
If they can’t speak get the system changed or get rid of them with no pension or perks
The purpose of the meeting today is to secure speaking rights for the affected group, made up of former FGs.
I may be reading it wrong but it seems to me these TDs had speaking rights as FG members which they lost when they lost the Party whip.
They now want to obtain speaking rights as in their own right.
Democracy in action preventing some from speaking in the Dail because they disagreed about party policy. So much for Enda’s claim to be reforming how government works.
FG are really trying to punish & humiliate those ‘rebel’ TD’s
very petty & vindictive
Irish democracy is being revealed for the joke that it is.
It would appear that Enda and Hulk Hogan have succeeded in bringing us the transparent government they promised.
Who could disagree with that comment.
Methinks Kehoe has activated the YFGbots.
This system has been in place long before the FG/Lab government came to power and is represented across the chambers of nearly all other western democracies.
Show me a democracy that does not operate in this way.
This shure we de worst in the world rubbish is physically sickening. Grow a pair of balls ffs and instead of imagining that the world is laughing at you, or that Ireland is the only country with problems, get off your butts and do something.
doesnt mean it works
This government just keeps digging a deeper political grave for itself with every negative announcement they make.
They have their speaking rights at mass on Sundays
Not that I want to listen to a word from idiot Creighton or fool Timmons …but ain’t it slightly off the wall that elected TDs aren’t allowed to speak…..democracy haw are you !
“the coalition has no plans to amend Dáil standing orders”.
So where is the open and accountable Government we were promised?
Serves them right
Democratically elected Tds not allowed to speak in the national parliament.
That’s a bad thing, see?
Democracy = a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives. Leaves me to ask, what do you call the present system of government?
Ireland operates a Whipocracy …. NOT a Democracy.
Whipped TDs vote for vested interests not the interests of those who voted for them.
Local Property Tax … case in point.
Revenue voted power by Whipped TDs to get the Anglo Tax from your pay, pension or bank account.
Hostile action by Government against the electorate … not in Syria …. in Ireland.
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FB/LocalPropertyTax
I found this out today and it made my blood boil!!! Eammon Gilmore is on €152,000 a year, plus €48,000 ‘expenses’ and he has FIVE advisers on a combined total of €670,000 !! Just him alone is costing nearly 1million. Ffs like.
his ‘expenses’ are almost twice my salary
He also has unvouched allowances
for example €5000 per year dry cleaning…. !!!!
This is the Taoiseach whose political reform instincts we’re trusting if we abolish the Seanad; he *might* reform the Dáil, but all indications are that he won’t.
yer wan from the Vincent Browne show has nice legs !
Who is yer wan….???
Vincent?
The wan in the background talking to petey forer banker Matthews ; she’s wearing high heels and she does be on the telly so she does .
The new Labour Party watch this space .
There is nothing to stop these TDs joining the existing technical group in the Dail or forming another technical group with someone like Mattie McGrath. Under the rules of the Dail they only need a minimum of 7 TDs for form such a group in order to gain more speaking rights.
The reason this isn’t happening is nothing to do with standing orders, but because it would effect the income “entitlements” of those TDs. This is while Healy Rae & McGrath chose not to be in the first technical group. The earn more money by being out of it.
There are 166 TDs in the Dail. If they each were allowed 5 mins a day speaking time then that would be 13 hours and 50 minutes each day excluding votes, debate and questions. Doesn’t seem workable.
you are assuming that they all turn up to the Dail every day
have your say