Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I want to confirm that the provision is for all of our primary schools and special schools. There is no question. They are all included in it. Where there might be a need for additional resources or if the school finds it has additional students, or whatever the case might be, then as we have said in the guidelines that went out to the schools, direct contact has been made by the Department and provision has been made for that. I want to be clear that not a single penny is to be provided by parents or guardians for the schoolbooks. Specifically, this covers textbooks, workbooks and copybooks. That is meant to lift the burden from parents and guardians of costs of going back to school. It is an acknowledgement by Government of the need to support parents as they send their children to school. No moneys are to be paid for the books by parents or guardians.

Any queries from individual schools should be directed to the Department.

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