Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to see this succeed but it all has the ring of "It will be all right on the night." The Minister refers to the education partners but she has not challenged me on, or disputed, the fact that they do not include the publishers or booksellers. I am open to being challenged on this. It does not seem there have been any discussions.

The Minister's reference to autonomy indicates there is a relatively decentralised model and that schools will be provided with a fund with which to procure the books. Am I picking that up right or will there be an element of central procurement? Will there be tendering? Obviously, the money is significant when we consider the needs of the whole State and also EU procurement rules.

It is fair enough to state the book rental scheme is good but that is not the same as free schoolbooks or what the Minister talked about. It is a step along the way but not where we need to go to. I really hope we see what I want in September but I am a little worried about the lack of preparation, or at least the lack of a clear sense as to how this will work. Having listened to the Minister, I believe there could be any number of things.

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