Ms Eileen Flynn:

We cannot mandate schools to do any particular thing but we can advise them. There is a fundamental issue that we might be missing, that is, encouraging schools to look at everything they are doing on a whole school basis at local level. For example, if one examines the building one is sitting in can one save energy? I know of one school in which every second florescent light was removed. Nobody missed it and it took €1,000 off the ESB bill. We can encourage children to look at how they can save energy by turning off lights, watching when they are using heat, having windows open while the heat is on - all things with which we are familiar - and to participate in the green schools initiative.

With regard to school books, there is a fundamental question to be asked where the local school population or community should look at the books they have listed as being required for the purposes of teaching the curriculum. Do they need them all, do they need them all now, can they get them on loan from each other?

Is there a dependence on text books and workbooks, as a component of teaching the curriculum? That is a challenge. We could look at this issue as well. We are mindful of advising schools to look at the economics of how they do their business, including all of the issues I outlined.