Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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276. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the projected cost of the school book rental scheme for the next two years; the number of schools it will cover; and the number of schools that will remain outside of the scheme. [29731/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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In Budget 2014 funding of €5 million for three years was provided for to support the establishment of book rental schemes in primary schools that did not operate such schemes. 533 schools indicated that they did not operate book rental schemes.

Of these, 431 have undertaken to establish book rental schemes. DEIS schools will receive €150 per child and non-DEIS schools will receive €100 per child in seed capital over the next two years, to establish book rental schemes. This will cost approximately €6.7million of the €15 million secured over the three year period 2014 to 2016.

For primary schools who already had book rental schemes in place the Minister re-examined the scheme to see if such schools could also be allocated funding. The balance of €8.3 million will be divided in 2015 and 2016 among primary schools that currently operate book rental schemes. These schools are expected to receive €20 per child in DEIS schools and €18 per child in non-DEIS schools over those two years.

Every primary school has now been given the opportunity to benefit from the funding secured for the School Book Rental Scheme.

The existing €15million already provided in book grants to all primary and post-primary in the Free Education Scheme will continue to be paid in 2014.