The cost facing students for the end-of-year graduation ball is prohibitive.
That's according to local student Dylan Gallagher who was part of the organisation committee for the Carrick Community School Debs.
Tickets, outfits, and spending money have been highlighted as the main costs, with Dylan describing costs as extreme.
End-of-year events are currently taking place across the Shannonside Region.
Speaking to the Joe Finnegan Show today, Dylan says the expectation behind the events means parents and teens are facing bills in the hundreds of euro.
While he believes the events are important, the local student says the costs put pressure on students and their families:
"It is your last get-together with your classmates and you've obviously finished your exams. I suppose once you get your Leaving Cert results you'll get one more night out but it is a bit of a de-stress and it is a nice event to have.
But the truth of it is the price, it's almost like you are getting married, it's like the cost of a wedding."
