Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 29: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the steps he has taken to encourage secondary schools to develop and promote a second hand market for standard text books in the junior and senior cycle especially when there has been no change in the syllabus, in order to reduce the cost of a range of school books which can be as high as €250 in first year of secondary school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26078/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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A consultancy report, which was submitted to my Department in 1993, dealt with the factors which contribute to the cost of school text books. The main conclusion of that report was that book rental schemes are the most practical way of limiting the cost of school books to parents.

The report, copies of which were sent to all schools, contains a number of useful suggestions, including a Code of Good Practice for successful operation of book rental schemes. My Department endorsed the recommendations and urged school authorities to put in place book rental schemes to the greatest extent possible.

At post primary level, in addition to the provision of grants towards the cost of providing school textbooks for needy pupils, my Department also provides seed capital funding towards the cost of establishing book loan/rental schemes in schools designated as disadvantaged and/or schools which participate in schemes designed to combat educational disadvantage. The intention is to provide some specific financial support for the introduction or expansion of book loan/rental schemes in individual schools on an annual basis. This funding is made available for a maximum of five or six years, depending on whether a school offers a Transition Year programme. It is envisaged that schools which receive seed capital will be in a position to establish sustainable book loan/rental schemes which, after the initial special assistance, will operate on a self-financing basis where ongoing costs will be met by fee income, which can be subsidised in the case of needy pupils from the general book grant scheme allocation. Funding in respect of seed capital amounts to €0.5m in 2008.

Schools are also free to operate second-hand book exchanges and I consider that locally operated rental or exchange schemes are the most appropriate and efficient way to address the issue of the cost of school books.