Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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362. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she can provide an update on how the free book scheme for primary school children will be rolled out; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10018/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As part of Budget 2023, I announced over €50 million to provide free books to primary school pupils within the free education sector from September 2023. This measure will eliminate the cost to these families for all school books at primary school, including workbooks. It delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to extend the free school book pilot, currently in over 100 DEIS primary schools, as resources permit. The free primary schoolbooks scheme will benefit up to 540,000 pupils in approximately 3,240 primary schools, including over 130 special schools.

The implementation of the scheme will build on the existing school book rental scheme which is available in some 96% of primary schools and on the free school books pilot provided to over one hundred primary DEIS schools in recent years. Schools currently buy books directly from school book suppliers as part of the implementation of the school book rental scheme. It is currently planned on the basis that funds will be provided directly to schools to purchase schoolbooks and related classroom resources.

My Department has been engaging with relevant stakeholders including teacher unions, management bodies and representatives of school book publishers and booksellers, in order to inform and plan for the roll out of the scheme. This engagement had already commenced at the end of 2022 and is continuing over the coming weeks.

Guidance for primary schools on the free schoolbooks scheme is being developed. The scheme will seek to ensure that value for money is achieved, and that schools will be supported to implement the scheme in a way that has the best learning outcomes for pupils. Schools will continue to have autonomy to choose books that meet curricular requirements. The Guidance, together with the funding, will be provided to schools to support the purchase of the books and resources in time for the start of the 2023/24 school year. It is recognised that this work will have to commence in schools after the Easter break.