MESL Costs for School Age Children

This working paper draws on in-depth focus group deliberations with parents on the minimum needs of school age children, detailing the goods and services that members of the public consider necessary for a primary school and second level child to have a Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) in Ireland today.

The MESL has consistently identified older children, aged 12 and over, as having additional and different needs that are distinct from younger children. This paper illustrates the additional expenditure requirements of a child of secondary school age in the words of the parents, providing an understanding as to why older children’s needs differ from younger children’s and the reasoning behind the higher costs associated with older children.

The findings show that costs remain highest for older children at €158 per week, approximately 60% higher than the minimum needs of primary school children.

The value of core child related social welfare supports relative to the direct MESL needs of school age children is examined. The impact on MESL costs of more permanent policy measures such as the extension of the Free Schoolbooks through second level, and the hot school meals at primary level is also discussed.