Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this issue. It is universally agreed that it is a good idea to try to reduce the cost for parents of their children attending school and to treat all families, or nearly all families, equally. Many in my constituency are not included in the scheme, but we are talking here about all of the rest of them. The Senator raised important issues. I do not think there are abuses, to be honest. It is about bedding in a brand-new policy and making sure it works. The Department has set guidance in relation to the free primary school book scheme which requests that schools make every effort to reduce wastage. The school books remain the property of the school and are on loan to the pupils for the duration of the year. They can consist of both new and second-hand school books. Pupils are supposed to retain the school books for one year and then return them to school for reuse in the following year. The Senator is right - you do not need to have a new school book every year. Developments in the curriculum can be added in terms of pages. We have all of the technology to be able to do that. It should not be new school books every year. She was correct to highlight that.

The Department stated that it expects schools to adopt a cost-conscious approach to the selection of school books, work books, copy books and related classroom resources. It recommends that a cover be placed on the books to protect them. Schools are requested to remind pupils' parents and guardians of school book care and maintenance, precisely so that the school books can be reused the following year. The free primary school books scheme is supported by Government funding of more than €50 million, which was issued earlier this year to all primary and special schools to purchase all school books, work books and copy books for their pupils in time to start the current school year. The scheme will seek to ensure that value for money is achieved and that schools will be supported to implement the scheme in a way that has the best learning outcomes for pupils. At the same time, it is important to emphasise that the Department has stated that schools continue to have the autonomy to choose school books and work books that meet curricular requirements and in the case of special schools and special classes meet the learning needs of pupils.

What the Senator highlighted is entirely possible. It is possible for an individual school to take a different approach and add costs or wastage. It is important to highlight the best practice that can be adopted by schools in the way the Senator did and for that to happen universally. This is the first year. It is really about what happens next year and how they manage the great resource provided in the best interests of the environment, learning opportunities and maintaining a reasonable cost for the State for the different needs. The Senator raised the issue in a timely way that gives schools the opportunity to plan.