Back-to-school costs continue to track higher

The most expensive secondary school item this year is schoolbooks at €187.

It might seem like only last week that they broke up for the holidays, but the summer is never as long as it promises to be. Parents — if they haven’t already — are beginning to grapple with the costs of returning to school.

And these costs are not getting any smaller. 72% of Irish parents say the cost of back to school is a financial burden, up from 66% last year and 63% the year before.