Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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617. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will clarify how the free schoolbook scheme will be rolled out; if the scheme will be administered from publishers, wholesalers or bookshops. [12461/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As part of Budget 2023, I announced over €50 million to provide schoolbooks for all children and young people in primary schools, including special schools within the free education scheme from September 2023. This measure will eliminate the cost to these families for all school books and 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 over 558,000 pupils in approximately 3,240 recognised primary schools, including over 130 special schools.

The implementation of the scheme will build on existing school book rental schemes which are available in some 96% of recognised primary schools and on the free school books pilot provided to over one hundred primary DEIS schools in recent years.

It is currently planned on the basis that funds will be provided directly to schools to purchase school books, workbooks and related classroom resources. Schools currently buy books directly from school book suppliers as part of the implementation of school book rental schemes.

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 measure. 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. It is important to note that schools will continue to have autonomy to choose and purchase 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.