St Vincent de Paul has said the introduction of free schoolbooks for all primary school pupils and for Junior Cycle students has contributed to a reduction among families in the need for support from the charity.
The society has recorded a 6% decrease in calls for support with back-to-school costs this year.
This is on top of a 20% decrease registered last year.
Free schoolbooks for Junior Cycle students were introduced this year and the free primary schoolbooks scheme came into being in 2023.
The SVP has called for the initiative to be extended next year to Senior Cycle.
"Research shows that when you send your child to secondary school the costs go up significantly," SVP Policy and Research Officer Niamh Dalziel said.
"The high cost of schoolbooks in the Senior Cycle is a leading reason why calls to SVP for support with the cost of education haven't dropped further," Ms Dalziel said, "which is why we believe the Government should announce in Budget 2025 the free schoolbooks scheme for all pupils in the Senior Cycle".
Ms Dalziel said free schoolbooks from the first day of primary school right through to the end of secondary level "would help change the lives of the younger generation who currently live in poverty and give them a fairer place in their education so that they have a better chance of breaking the cycle of poverty that so many are trapped in".
The SVP said it is seeing that digital devices, such as tablets and laptops, are becoming necessary everyday school items.
It said it was seeking clarity on whether funding through the current schoolbooks supports can be used for digital devices.
"SVP first asked for the free schoolbooks policy over 20 years ago," Ms Dalziel said.
"This Government in their final budget, can and should rid every parent of the financial pressure of buying schoolbooks for their children who are in the Senior Cycle, in doing so the policy will uplift the educational experience of the children from the families that struggle the most," she said.
The charity said while requests for parent contributions fees known as "voluntary" contributions or registration fees, costly uniforms and devices such as Ipads and laptops continue to place a financial burden on all parents and families, they were felt most by those on low income and those experiencing poverty.
SVP National President Rose McGowan said: "We have taken calls from parents who pay these additional costs but who are going without, less food in the cupboards, the heating is off and other bills are being delayed, so that parents can cover the cost of back-to-school.
"The high cost of transition year is increasingly an issue as well."
