Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn. I thank Deputies Kitt and McConalogue for raising this issue and I welcome the opportunity to clarify the position. The Minister, Deputy Quinn, is very conscious that the cost of textbooks is a considerable burden on families. Textbooks are a very important way in which students can be supported in their learning and the Minister believes that participation in book rental schemes offers the best opportunity to reduce the burden. Schools which already have rental schemes can save parents up to 80% of the cost of buying new books.

Since his appointment, the Minister has attempted to take steps to increase participation in book rental schemes. In January 2013, the Minister launched the guidelines for developing textbook rental schemes in schools, which provide practical advice to primary and post-primary schools on how rental schemes can be established and operated. The aim of the guidelines is to help as many schools as possible to start such book rental programmes. The publication of the guidelines followed a survey of schools by the Department last year. This had a 99% response rate at primary level and indicated that 76% of primary schools operate a book rental scheme. At second level, the response rate was lower, at 44%. Of those which did respond, 88% of those in the VEC sector and 73% of those in the community and comprehensive sector operated a book rental scheme.

The Minister believes these results indicate we have a good foundation to build on across the country, especially at primary level. We can achieve a position where every primary school has a book rental schemes in operation in the 2014 and 2015 school year. The 2014 budget provided additional funding which will involve an investment of €15 million to support the establishment of book rental schemes in primary schools that do not currently operate them. The Department will provide €5 million in seed capital per annum over a three-year period to such schools.

This seed capital grant for book rental scheme for the primary schools scheme will be confined to primary schools that do not currently operate such a scheme. To extend it to all schools, as suggested by the Deputies, would mean that funding available to each school would be diluted to such an extent as to have little impact. The Minister wholeheartedly commends schools that have established book rental schemes to date. However, he regrets that they will not be eligible to apply for funding under this scheme. The Minister has confirmed that the Department will continue to provide €7 million in book grants to all primary schools, and this can be utilised for the purposes of updating or expanding a school's book rental scheme. The publication of the guidelines builds on other steps the Minister has taken in an attempt to reduce the burden on families, such as agreeing the voluntary code of practice with the Irish Educational Publishers Association, protecting the budget for school book grants at €15 million over the past two years, despite economic pressures.

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