Commuting costs another expense for defective concrete families - Ward

Donegal TD Charles Ward has said that commuting costs have become yet another hidden expense for defective concrete families. The Donegal Deputy said ‘Families are being squeezed from every angle, particularly families in Donegal, who are already living with the burden of the defective concrete crisis. "These families face many additional and hidden costs as a result of a situation they had no part in creating, additional travel costs for example. He said: ‘Families that are forced to leave their crumbling homes are often forced to move to completely different parts of the county. "Those who were on bus routes no longer have the option of the school bus and parents are forced to make long commutes every day to get their child to their school." The 100% Redress party leader was speaking on back to school costs and referenced the recent Back to School survey from the Irish League of Credit Unions which has shown that 59% of parents find that covering back to school costs is a financial burden, with more than one in four getting into debt to cover costs. ‘As a parent, I myself have seen how back to school costs have skyrocketed in recent years’, he said. "Technology is emerging as a pressure point, but uniforms still remain as the main pressure point for parents as more schools are introducing expensive branded items, such as bags, coats and PE gear. "Uniforms are supposed to represent equality, now they’ve become yet another financial burden for families already struggling with the rising cost of living." Deputy Ward said: "Far more needs to be done to address these significant back to school costs, particularly for families of the defective concrete crisis."