Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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254. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will reconsider the manner in which the funding announced for book rental schemes is to be allocated; if he will ensure that designated disadvantaged schools can avail of the funding including a school (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3731/14]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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279. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide the names of schools, broken down by county, who will be able to avail of funding for new book rental schemes. [4037/14]

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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297. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a school (details supplied) in County Kildare is not eligible to receive funding under the book rental scheme; if he will revisit this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4156/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 254, 279 and 297 together.

The Department will continue to provide a book grant as usual to all primary schools. This grant, can be utilised for the purposes of updating or expanding a school's existing book rental scheme.

I want to commend all schools that have used it to help build up book rental schemes over the years. Their efforts mean that the high costs of school books is being significantly reduced for parents. At my request, the National Parents' Council surveyed the views of their members in relation to currently operating book rental schemes. Parents have reported that where book rental schemes operate, they are open to all parents in 95% of cases, and that the cost per child is under €40 per year in a considerable majority of schools. Perhaps most tellingly, the survey has found that 93% of parents believe that book rental schemes help with the costs of educating a child. Ensuring that book rental schemes are available to all parents must therefore clearly be our aim.

I understand that it feels unfair to those schools who have invested time and money to establish such schemes, that they now cannot benefit from the additional funding which was secured as part of the Budget. Of course it is unfair, but equally, the status quo was deeply unfair on many parents. The parents who had no access whatsoever to book rental schemes needed more support. With the limited funding available, I believe that targeting this funding - to make sure that every parent in Ireland has access to some level of a book rental scheme - was the greatest good that could be achieved.

The Department is contacting primary schools that do not currently operate a book rental scheme to advise them of the application process. The information regarding applications for inclusion in the scheme of funding for the establishment of book rental schemes in primary schools is not yet available.