Extra curricular activities, school lunches, shoes and books are the most expensive back to school costs according to the Irish League of Credit Unions.

Their annual survey of over 1000 people found that fees and voluntary contributions are also putting financial pressure on families, however the vast majority of parents said they'd still be paying them.

At over €1,200 per child, almost three quarters of parents says back to school costs are a financial burden and have a negative impact on household bills.

One if four parents says they'll have to deny their kids some basic school item as a result.

However it's not all bad news, the number of parents getting into debt as a result of back to school costs has fallen, with the average amount borrowed also down.

According to parents, Tesco is now the preferred retailer for the bulk of Back to School items with almost one third getting their school supplies there. Dunnes Stores has fallen to second place, Marks and Spencer comes in third with Aldi in fourth.

Kim Buckley has this report: