Eamonn Maloney (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am encouraged by the remarks made by the Minister of State on the progress being made in this area. I am in favour of the reforms being made in the education sector, particularly in this area. While the change will not affect everyone, it will benefit those on low incomes, the kind of people who elected me to this House. It is important that there is fairness and equality, particularly at primary level, and no child should be denied access to school books.

The Minister of State mentioned the Irish Educational Publishers Association. I read its statement on this issue. We have not heard much from it in the past, although it has been in existence for some time. If it had not been hauled in by the Department, it would have been quite content to continue making money from the sale of school books and keeping the status quo. Its attitude bears out the point made by the parent who telephoned me last June to say the sale of school books was a lucrative business.

It may be a lucrative business for the publishers and printers, but it is not lucrative for working-class families who cannot afford to cope with the burden of buying additional new books each year. It is good that we are making progress in that regard. Perhaps the day will come when we will have access to the sort of money that these book publishers have made during the years and figures for the volume of books printed outside the jurisdiction for Irish schools.

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