Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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445. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has considered restoring library grant funding for primary schools in the context of budget 2022; her views on whether such funding would be a very valuable investment in literacy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46120/21]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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455. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to restore the funding to the school library fund given that there are so many new schools with libraries with no funding to stock them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46304/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 445 and 455 together.

An arrangement was made through An Chomhairle Leabharlanna in 1971, whereby the local authority librarians would provide services for schools. At that time my Department made a grant available for this purpose based on the number of pupils enrolled in primary schools in the local authority areas.

The amount of the grant payable to each local authority was based on the number of primary pupils in the relevant area and amounted to €4.52 per pupil. The full year estimated cost of reinstating the library grant is circa €2.5m

As Minister for Education, I am very conscious of the importance of library services and the value of these in the context of the supports available to schools.