Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)

Is the Minister aware that a number of countries such as Israel, Italy, Poland, Bolivia and New Zealand to name but a few have already legislated on this issue? The Minister mentioned the provision of lockers in schools, but there are difficulties in terms of cost and space. Will she initiate a system of grant assistance for schools that would like to avail of this solution? Will the Minister consult publishers about the possibility of the publication of smaller-sized books? Students do not need books the size of Encyclopaedia Britannica for every subject; why can smaller textbooks not be published? Furthermore, could more use be made of computers by students to view books electronically or could they not have two sets of books, one at school and one at home? These constructive suggestions should be considered in view of the potential danger to children's health posed by this problem.

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