There are calls for the Government to clamp down on voluntary contributions in schools.
The average secondary school charges parents €140 per child, with some requesting up to €550
Research from St. Vincent de Paul also found nearly 90% of parents struggle to pay the contribution, with 80 per cent saying it was not clearly communicated that the charge was optional.
Journalist and mother of seven, Jen Hogan, says the Government should regulate, but thinks it's unlikely:
"If the Government, or the minister were to implement kind of some sort of regulation and admitting perhaps that the capitation grants are insufficient and that they're not schools or schools aren't being funded properly. So I'm not sure I could see that happening. But maybe it will be owning up to the situation that schools say they find themselves in."
