Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 30 November 2022

Select Committee on Education and Skills

Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary)

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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It is very much the intention that the review of the summer programme will be completed in advance of the provision of the programme for next summer. The entire focus is to find new ways to deliver it and to lessen the burden placed on schools. The ambition is that we would have that done.

Regarding free books, we had a €50 million package available to us which meant that we could achieve it at primary school level. Without doubt, the ambition is to develop that and carry it over into post-primary level. It will be subject to budgetary constraints at any given time when we are negotiating around the budget, but it is a very positive first step in the right direction for families and students. No student is limited by their family's limited financial resources when it comes to providing the necessary books for their education.