Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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87. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of providing free school books to all primary and secondary school children in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48525/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The information sought is not available to my Department, however one estimate from publishers' sources suggeststhat the Irish school book market is worth approximately €60 million per annum.

My Department supports the operation of book rental schemes through the funding provided under its school books grant scheme.  Under this scheme, my Department provides funding of €16 million annually to primary and post-primary schools in the free education scheme.

School book rental schemes have an important role to play in reducing the cost of school books for parents.  Circa. 94% of primary schools and 65% of post-primary schools operate a book rental scheme. 

One of the actions as part of the Action Plan for Education is to strengthen the focus on reducing school costs for parents by increasing the financial support for book rental schemes, in order to reduce/eliminate school book costs for parents as resources permit.

Providing additional funding for book rental schemes will be addressed during the lifetime of the Action Plan for Education.

My Department has published a circular to school authorities and ETBs regarding measures to be adopted by schools to reduce the costs which include the provision of a book rental scheme. The circular can be accessed on my Department's website at the following link: www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0032_2017.pdf.