Written answers

Wednesday, 31 March 2021

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Literacy Programmes

Photo of Kathleen FunchionKathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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700. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to roll out a reading scheme (details supplied) to other parts of the country. [16722/21]

Photo of Roderic O'GormanRoderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Imagination Library Scheme is operated by an International NGO and has no affiliation with this Department. However, as part of First 5, a whole-of-Government strategy to improve the lives of babies, young children and their families, The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY), the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) and the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) are collaborating with local authorities to deliver the First 5 and Our Public Libraries 2022 book bag initiative Connecting Early Learning and Care Services to Local Libraries.

Under this initiative, First 5 Little Library (Na Chéad 5 Leabharlann Beag), 4,500 Early Learning and Care (ELC) services will be offered an opportunity to connect with their local library and receive a First 5 book bag. The network of 330 public libraries will have one or two copies of this book bag available to loan to parents and/or to remain in the library for story times and reading corners. Depending on the size of each setting, they will receive 1, 2, or 3 bags each.

Each book bag will contain five books in a First 5 Little Library branded bag. The books were selected from the Children’s Books Ireland recommended list with input from the Strategic Programmes Committee of the LGMA and procured under the LGMA national book procurement framework contracts which was established earlier this year. The bag will also contain other branded resources including a booklet on getting the most from the books, a leaflet on the library services with the designated contact details for the library and a library card for each setting. The books will target the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) age range of 2.5 years to 5.5 years. Book bags will also be developed in Irish for provision to the Naíonraí groups.

This initiative will happen twice over the course of the year, with the first set of bags being distributed in early May. In October, as part of the Children's Book Festival, a further set of Little Library bags will be procured and distributed to the Libraries and ELC settings.

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