One third of parents get into debt paying for their children to go back to school.

The annual Credit Union Back to School Costs survey reveals that two thirds of parents say the expense negatively impacts household bills and family plans.

The average spend for a primary school child is nearly a thousand euro, and almost 15 hundred for a secondary student.

Extra-curricular activities have seen the biggest increase from 133 euro last year, to 185.

Gerry McConville CEO of Dundrum Credit Union in Dublin, has this advice: