"More people need to be helped"
The summer holidays may have only started, but Irish parents are already worrying about September.
It is believed the pressure of back-to-school costs is already weighing down on parents in Ireland.
The rising cost of living is enough to stress any parent out but add school costs into the mix and the financial pressure can be too much to handle.
Speaking about the stress parents are now facing, TD Jennifer Whitmore said more needs to be done to support them.
She stressed that the Government isn't doing enough to support parents.
She told the Irish Daily Mail, "Around now, the letter arrives with the cost of uniforms, book lists, voluntary contributions, and more."
Whitmore explained that many families receive help from social welfare, but others don't get any financial support at all.
"While you have social welfare measures, there is a huge number of people that are working who do not get any respite. More people need to be helped."
Last year, it was revealed that the
average parents spends €1,491 per child on secondary school pupils.
Parents of primary school children are forking out around €1200 on new uniforms, books, tablets, shoes, and more.
They're also expected to pay the 'voluntary' contribution fee every year.
Whitmore stressed that the list of things parents need to pay for is astronomical.
"The costs of schoolbooks and tablets, uniforms, tracksuits, and school shoes are often, and especially now, crippling expenses."
"Kids may love finishing school every June, but many parents dread it because it is this time of year they have to start paying for their return in September."
Are you concerned about back-to-school costs?
