Crippling school costs sees 11,000 families struggle to cope

By Laura Lyne

MORE than 11,000 families living across local communities are this month being supported by St Vincent de Paul, as back-to-school costs see parents struggling to prepare their children for the new term – leaving no money for food or bills.

According to St Vincent De Paul (SVP) more than 2,000 families living in Tallaght, Clondalkin, Lucan and Ballyfermot have appealed to the charity for specific assistance in paying for school fees, uniforms and books.

However, the local conference of SVP told The Echo that there is currently around 11,000 local families on their books who are experiencing difficulties in paying for food and utility bills, or meeting rent or mortgage repayments, because of the money spent on back-to-school costs.

Marie Cronin, the SVP area president for Clondalkin and Ballyfermot, said: “The demand this year is roughly the same as last year with SVP spending around €100,000 supporting families with back-to-school costs.

“Some of the parents we supported last year have even started jobs over the last 12 months, but most of this work is at the lower end of the pay scale and families are still under enormous pressure.

“We have around 2,000 families living in Tallaght, Clondalkin, Lucan and Ballyfermot who contacted us looking for specific help with meeting schools costs.

“However, we have around 11,000 families living in those areas who are struggling to make ends meet because of the money they have had to invest in uniforms, fees, books and shoes.

“We are working with many families who have no money to pay for food or who have had their ESB cut.

“This is not a cheap time for families and SVP is trying to get to parents before the loan sharks come knocking.”

She added: “Parents are under enormous anxiety and stress and, because they don’t want their children to go without or to feel different for not starting school with books or the proper uniform, they will go to any lengths – which could mean not eating themselves, missing utility bills or turning to a loan shark.

“Schools and the Department of Education need to look at the financial burden placed on parents at this time of the year and introduce measures such as standardising uniforms, which would mean parents could buy the more reasonably priced uniforms stocked in local supermarkets.”

Ms Cronin is encouraging anybody with quality second-hand uniforms to drop them into their local SVP charity shop or to make a food or cash donation to contact the charity’s head office.

“This is a very busy time of the year for SVP and, while responding to the back-to-school demand, we also continue our work with individuals in need, the elderly and those struggling to make ends meet due to an illness,” Ms Cronin said.

A survey of 1,475 parents carried out by children’s charity Barnardos this summer showed that 42 per cent of parents will delay household bills or cut back on daily expenses to afford their child’s school costs – with one in 10 parents forced into debt to cover costs.

The findings also report that the average cost of preparing a senior infant for school is €340, a fourth class pupil is €395 and a first year secondary school student is around €775 – with 66 per cent of primary school parents and 79 per cent of secondary school parents asked for ‘voluntary contributions’.

Barnardos is asking members of the public to add their name to a message to politicians, which calls for the system to be made fairer.

To contact SVP drop into your local parish office, visit www.svp.ie or call 8550022.