In 2020 the government introduced a pilot scheme to provide free school books to those they felt were most in need of support.

That scheme has since been greatly expanded and this year €160m will be spent on the free school books scheme providing curriculum texts to one million students.

However, admirable as this sounds, it is a mere drop in the ocean and fails to offer any salve on the wound for the countless households worried about meeting school costs.

More than half of parents say they can’t meet the costs, with more than two thirds, a staggering 70% in fact, very worried about the cost of school uniforms, according to a Barnardos survey.

The uniform debate has been running for some time. Advocates of a standard affordable uniform across all schools have been making their case for some time, but it seems to be falling on deaf ears.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission took up the case in March of this year, writing to schools reminding them to avoid restrictive and costly uniform policies.

The CCPC said it had received complaints from families who felt policies were forcing them to pay more for branded uniforms rather than shop around for the best value.

It gave key recommendations including that uniform items should be as generic as possible, iron-on or stitch-on crests should be available, appointing a single exclusive supplier should be avoided, and exclusive suppliers should only be appointed after a competitive process.

Digital devices are another cost which is driving households into debt. They average at €450 but for some schools by the time the software is added it can top €800.

There have been reports of parents being compelled to buy specific devices from specific suppliers at set costs.

They should be allowed to shop around to get better value, or use similar cheaper items, or even use identical items which they may already own.

Worryingly, 15% of parents say they will have to borrow to meet back to school costs, while over a quarter will have to use savings.

The Back to School allowance is announced to great fanfare each summer, but the stark reality for many parents is that they fall just above the income threshold and receive nothing.

The current system creates what one parent described as a ‘benefits cliff’ instead of providing gradual support. Assistance should taper off based on income, rather than stop completely. That way working families would not be unfairly penalised for earning slightly more.

The Government should intervene here considering the cost of living squeeze that is already putting pressure on households.

Review the use of digital devices, make affordable uniform options mandatory and expand the eligibility criteria for the Back to School Allowance. It’s not rocket science.