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that €54 million would be needed from so-called voluntary contributions to subsidise so-called free education. Parents also face new expenses for digital devices. The Minister of State will be aware that one in four secondary schools have moved to using digital devices rather than traditional textbooks … digital device costs an average of €430 per child. Some parents who cannot afford to pay for the device up-front then pay what the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has dubbed a poverty premium as instalment payments can add up to a higher price. This

secondary students. More than half of parents have gone into debt to meet these costs. It is not just uniforms; it is books, digital devices, transport and the voluntary contributions that are anything but voluntary. I have spoken to parents in my constituency clinics this year … paying hundreds of euro for a single digital device because their child's school has moved away from textbooks. Families with two or three children simply cannot keep up. Others are paying for fuel or taxis because they are excluded from the school transport scheme - a scheme that

voluntary contributions that are not that voluntary. We have exorbitant school uniform costs. Schools now ask children to have €500 laptops and tablet devices. Many schools are begging parents to partake in fundraisers every year, placing another burden on parents. However, this is not the school's fault … said, to demand voluntary contributions, to charge for uniforms and exam papers and, increasingly, as has been mentioned, to require expensive digital devices, such as tablets and iPads. This is not free education. Making the clothing and footwear allowance universal would come at a cost of €250 million

mocks fees, study blocks, lockers and career outings, and that is only by the start of November. This is before uniforms or digital devices are taken into account. Inequalities keep growing. The Government’s plan for leaving certificate reform risks creating a system where well-funded schools pull

schools are forced to pass the cost of facilities on to parents due to inadequate capitation. Families increasingly have to pay out for digital devices. According to the Irish League of Credit Unions, back-to-school spending is €364 more expensive this year than last year for primary

been established and a range of subsidised or fully funded eco-driving training courses are available to HGV drivers. The promotion of digital and operational efficiencies such as load sharing and logistics consolidation hubs are also being explored by my Department. The logistics and supply chain skills group … relation to the use of smart tachographs were introduced under EU law in recent years. This includes the need to retrofit such devices in older commercial vehicles if the vehicle is engaged in international commercial activity. The requirements have so far only applied to heavy goods vehicles

Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration when part 5 of the Garda Síochána (Digital Recording Devices) Act, 2023, concerning authorisation for installation and operation of CCTV for the prevention, investigation and prosecution of crime will be commenced; when the required statutory code