Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

If the scheme started last year, books were purchased by schools on behalf of pupils. As those in first year move on to second year, schools do not have to buy an entire supply of first year books again. That is the case across the country. The idea is to retain a lot of books for the next year, keep them in working condition and so on. I suspect and surmise that is the context for the figures the Deputy has presented. It is not a cut. In fact, as the Deputy knows, the scheme is being expanded to junior certificate students. We will consider this in the Estimates process, but I hope we can expand the scheme to leaving certificate students for the following academic year.

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