To think that €80 for school books for a FOUR year old is a bit much.

[BarbieLovesKen]

Just a rant really, I know we're all in the same boat but for God's sake!!. DD is starting school in September, got her book list yesterday. Got all her books (exactly €79) and further €65 for her uniform today.

Havent got school bag, school shoes etc yet.

€20 for photocopying to school for the year and €20 for arts and crafts for the year.

Probably the norm for most of you and well used to this, but forgive my being so naive - shes my first to start school so I never realised before.

Feeling really sorry for all of those with more than one to send to school this year - not to mention the older children. Bit shocked really!!! blah..

Agree with everyone who says this country is ridiculously expensive atm. We are nickled and dimed all over the place. Stealth taxes are a huge problem and prices just keep on going up.

We live in rural Cork and commute to the city to work. We spend over €100 on petrol and diesel alone. Public transport is a joke and the holes are pot hole ridden so car maintenance costs are really high.

Having said all of that. My dd13 gets an excellent service (she has Downs), we have a team of fantastic professionals dedicated to her needs, and loads of local support. My ds9 goes to a great school also and they're not as money obsessed as some of the city schools that my colleagues dc attend.

We have our own well and our water is lovely, but we have to maintain it and if the pump freezes over or blow up it costs a fortune.

We are really lucky to both be still in gainful employment, the only family on our lane with two parents still working in fact. For now, who knows how long we'll manage to keep our jobs? Unemployement is now endemic and with so many in negative equity, the choices are limited.

We'll be years in this mess.

Tulips - Im so sorry .

Anniebee - its looking that way, isnt it? I've seriously considered moving but do feel ungrateful as both dh and I are in employment (public sector so fairly secure) and I dont want to make a huge mistake, that said, the cuts this year have really crippled us too (along with everyone else) and we are both terrified about how we are going to manage when I return to work after maternity in November as its going to cost us so much . I dont know. It is terrible to say but I do understand why so many are saying it is simply not worth their while working - who could blame them? ( not that you can get work now anyway)

Do any Irish Mnetters remember last year when recession really hit hard and many children were sent home with a note requesting they brought in 2 rolls of toilet paper to school?

i think benefits are going to be cut even more BLK. So far children's Allowance has been cut 10% and job seekers and OPFA were cut (although not drastically). I think they will slice another twenty euro off every benefit after the next budget.

That seems very expensive BarbieLovesKen.

Most reception classes in England are play based so there isn't as much formal teaching as there used to be. Even so, this development is relatively new and we would never think of charging money for exercise or reading books.

Each class has a yearly budget of £400 for the financial year and anything needed across the school comes from curriculum budgets. I can't believe you're having to pay for photocopying - especially now that most classrooms have interactive whiteboards.

We do ask a voluntary contribution towards trips and swimming lessons, but they even get free fruit until they get to KS2 (7 years old). And we don't care whether the uniform comes from us or Asda, as long as they are wearing the right colours and looks smartish.

I think the reason people are surprised is not because they don't realise that Ireland is a different country but because they expect that in a modern EU country that health and education should be state funded.

I think the reason people are surprised is not because they don't realise that Ireland is a different country but because they expect that in a modern EU country that health and education should be state funded.

I used to think it would be nice to move to Ireland. I think I have changed my mind.

Magaly - I really hope they dont but you could be right, ok, it wont make any difference in this house, as we dont get benefits (apart from CA obviously - and really miss the extra €30 for 2 kids a month and the ECS was a God send to us - if the fools hadnt given that to us in the first place we would never have missed it but its after creating a huge dent for everyone relying on it) but too many are really struggling already, if they cut benefits anymore I dont know what people are expected to do.

They are simply going to have to bring the cost of living down somewhat, its ridiculous - wages keep coming down and down but outgoings remain the same (or are going up)- I dont know what they suppose we are all supposed to do .

allcriedout, it is a lovely place to live in and a lovely place to bring up children. But it is very expensive.

I do agree that Ireland is a very - unsustainably - expensive place to live but I do absolutely love the country. I think Irish people - despite the 15 years of shiteology and hot tubs on the roof - are fantastic, and I find the bullshit quotient surprisingly low at the moment. God knows we are cursed with inept government, schools issues, church issues, an unplanned and unmanageable health system, etc etc etc, but I think Irish people are fab, I think the Irish countryside and seaside are fab, I love Irish voices, Irish radio and Irish writers.

Not to say I wouldn't fancy being posted to New York for six months .

Actually I feel bad for having complained about the GP fees etc when we actually are ok, we both have work that we enjoy, etc, and we are not in dire straits yet.

I moved from Ireland a few years ago, and it is kind of amazing living in the UK - no GP charges, no prescription charges... when the nursery said that I would be getting tax rebate on fees paid and a free 12.5 hours (I think it's 15 now) when dd1 was 3 - I was pretty much punching the air and shouting yes yes I love it here!

It's weird tho, that the effect of having to pay for GP services in the past has made me really slow ever to go to the Drs.

Did I mention not having to worry when you get picked up by an ambulance that you will be getting the bill through in a week or so (while struggling to breathe and stuff).

I do miss Ireland tho!!

I love it here too, but that's not to say the recession isn't ruining lives. Did anyone see that documentary 'Ghosttown' all about ghost estates around the country where only one or two house were sold in estates, the property developer went pop and they're left in negative equity with houses falling down around them.

The human cost of this recession in Ireland is huge. I already know of a few suicides. One extremely close too home and extremely recent.

The Government couldn't give a fuck about us. They were the ones telling us to keep borrowing when they knew full well we were already falling into the abyss.

Ugh, sorry, the removal was tonight. Very angry indeed.

Thre isn't a book list for 4 year olds starting school in the Uk and you don't have to pay for photocopying. We didn't even have a book list or have to pay for photocopying when our DC's started high school at the age of 11. We did have to pay for some text and revision books when they were in year nine and ten. So aged 14 and 15.

Anniebee - so sorry to hear that. It does have dreadful consequences, and so much pressure on some people. One of the lads in the firm I used to work in committed suicide last year - no one realised quite how bad he was feeling until too late.

Well since reading the private schools thread here yesterday, I think we don't have it too bad here in Ireland
At least our children will get a decent education without spending a few thousand per term

I don't think they even use textbooks in infants (age 4-7) just reading books and photocopied worksheets. Dd is in Year 3 and only this year she has started to bring home a couple of textbooks, mostly for homework.

anniebee... I'm so sorry for your loss

We rent a house on an estate of nine houses. for the first 2 years we were the only residents of the estate... now one other house is occupied. Rumor goes the rest will be torn down soon.

And as for school expenses, i only remembered this morning as it arrived in the post but i had to send in a SAE to the school in order to get dd's school report!

Tulips we did too. Unbelievable isn't it?

insane... whatever happened to just handing them to the kids on the way out the door on the last day? That's how we always got ours!

Anniebee, Im so sorry [sorry]

You are right though - I work for the Health Service and suicide rates have significantly went up in recent times.

DH's uncle committed suicide the week our ds was born (in Jan), two beautiful children and a lovely wife left behind. It is as always impossible to know why, but his family blame it all on the recession - out of work, financial problems...

Stickylittlefingers - love hearing from someone who has made the move - always wondered was the expense of living here counteracted in other ways if moved to the UK, if you know what I mean, much of a muchness as we say but sounds like we would be better off moving...

We built 3 years ago... cost of labour/ supplies ridiculous... ah sure, hindsights a great thing..

maryZ, I agree with you about the recession. When I first came back to Ireland I really felt like such a loser financially, everybody else was living in gorgeous houses driving fabulous cars and taking wonderful holidays and I was embarrassed to say, oooh I'd love to but I can't afford to (go to a spa/hen weekend/night out whatever. I wouldn't wish bad luck on anybody, but now that people's salaries have been cut and their mortgages have gone up and they're worried about losing their jobs, it has become much less 'awkward' to be a penny-pinching tightwad!!

I wasn't jealous of people btw, I just mean it's easier now. I don't feel that I stand out like a sore thumb being that poor woman.

instructions, if going to the UK, don't do what I did and buy sharp things and try to put them in the handluggage.

I ended up in the middle of a debate in Liverpool airport as to whether I was allowed to bring these cute little forks I got for ds4 in John Lewis.

Eventually I was allowed to bring them as they were childrens cutlery and not v. sharp.