Written answers

Tuesday, 19 October 2021

Department of Education and Skills

School Equipment

Photo of Donnchadh Ó LaoghaireDonnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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592. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the details of the scheme announced in budget 2022 allowing schools to purchase books, audio books and other media; and if this can be used to offset the costs of academic schoolbooks for families. [51066/21]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Considerable progress has been made in promoting a high level of literacy since the 2011 Literacy and Numeracy Strategy and Interim Review 2017. There is a need to ensure that we build on this good work by once again investing in our in-school literacy resources.

It is of utmost importance that we provide access to the highest quality books and other reading material in our schools in order to assist in the continued development of the language and literacy skills of all our learners. I announced in the budget a once-off funding of €20 million to be provided by my Department in 2022. This funding will be made available to all primary and post primary schools for the purchase of books, audio books and other reading materials in order to increase the literacy resources available to children within each school.

This grant scheme is separate to the funding that is already provided by my Department in relation to the availability of academic books to children.  My Department provides a book grant to all recognised primary and post primary schools in order to provide assistance for books, including Book Rental Schemes. Under the book rental scheme, my Department provided funding of €17.1 million in 2020 to all of these schools.

School book rental schemes have an important role to play in reducing the cost of school books for parents.  In order to support the establishment of book rental schemes, my Department provided €15.7 million seed capital in 2014, 2015 and 2016 to primary schools.  Some 96% of primary schools and 68% of post-primary schools currently operate a book rental scheme.

Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) is the Department’s main policy instrument to tackle educational disadvantage. This year my Department will spend over €150 million on supports for schools targeted at supporting the educational outcomes of those pupils most at risk of educational disadvantage. The DEIS Plan includes the allocation of additional resources, including enhanced book grants, to all DEIS schools, to improve learning outcomes. 

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