Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 177: To ask the Minister for Education and Science his plans to regulate the re-use of schoolbooks from year to year and move away from the use of workbooks to enable families to reduce the cost of schoolbooks and allow for recycling of existing schoolbooks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46428/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department does not approve or prescribe types of textbook or workbook to be used by schools. I can assure the Deputy that I have consistently urged schools to implement book rental schemes, which are the most effective means of lowering costs for parents and ensuring that books are recycled.

Decisions on which books to use are taken at school level. School authorities have been advised regularly that textbooks should be changed only to the extent that is absolutely necessary. Syllabus planners are conscious of the need to avoid over-frequent changes, primarily in order to minimise increases in the cost burden for parents. Textbooks have to be changed periodically, however, to enable teachers to keep their own and their students' work educationally stimulating and to ensure that content and methodology are kept up to date. It is unavoidable, therefore, that some textbooks will become obsolete over time.

The Deputy will be aware that the Renewed Programme for Government provides for funding to be made available to allow schools to provide grant assistance for books. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that €7.65m of additional grant support has been made available as a result of the Budget for 2010, which is in addition to the €7m that was allocated for books to DEIS schools in 2009.

My officials will be consulting with the management bodies to consider the details of how these funds will be channelled to schools having regard to the desirability of streamlining grant payments. Schools will be advised of the arrangements following this process. I will continue to encourage schools to use this funding to establish book rental schemes.