Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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393. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the policy requirement for a number of issues (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36964/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The decision to use tablet devices is a matter for the Board of Management of a school. Where the introduction of new technology is planned, consultation with members of the school community including parents is advised. The cost and other implications must be fully considered by the Boards of Managements before a decision is made.

An advice sheet on the adoption of tablets in schools is available on the PDST-Technology in Education (PDST-TIE) website, detailing what tablets can offer a school, educational considerations, purchasing considerations and software.

It is a matter for the Board of Management of each individual school to decide on its own policy in relation to the use of textbooks in the school. Individual schools should adopt a cost-conscious approach to the selection of books in their classes.

The vital contribution of the library service to literacy and numeracy and education more broadly is reflected in the National Strategy for Literacy and Numeracy 2011-2020. The strategy, which was reviewed in 2017, includes as an action the promotion of library usage as a means of supporting family literacy, and ensuring that all children, through their school and parents, are motivated to avail of membership of a public library.

In relation to textbook costs an agreement was reached with the Irish Educational Publisher’s Association which resulted in the agreement of a Code of Practice. The Code commits the publishers to limit the publication of new editions and to maintaining editions of books in print unchanged for at least six years. The publishers have also given assurances that they will sell textbooks to schools at discounts so that schools can purchase textbooks in bulk to stock book rental schemes.

School book rental schemes have an important role to play in reducing the cost of school books for parents. Circa. 96% of primary schools and 68% of post-primary schools operate a book rental scheme.

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 €16.7 million annually to all recognised primary and post-primary schools in the free education scheme. In addition €15.7 million seed capital was provided over three years to support the establishment of book rental schemes in primary schools.

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.

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 and the phasing out of the use of workbooks which cannot be reused. The circular can be accessed on my Department’s website at .