Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

61. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will clarify the situation with respect to stakeholder engagement on free schoolbooks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14246/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Education is the great leveller, and it is crucially important that all children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms. This is a core belief of my own, and one which has been affirmed by government.

Since June 2020, and over the past three Budgets, I have secured funding to support measures aimed at achieving that goal. One of the most important policies in this regard has been the establishment of Ireland’s first national primary school book scheme, whichwill provide free schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks, in primary schools and special schools. More than 558,000 pupils enrolled in approximately 3,230 primary schools, including over 130 special schools, will benefit from this measure.

The total investment, of over €50 million, significantly increases the funding for school books currently provided to all recognised primary schools in the country.

This Government recognises that the cost of preparing children for school each September can be a cause of financial difficulty and worry for many Irish families. This free schoolbooks scheme will eliminate the cost to all families for schoolbooks at primary school, including workbooks and copybooks.

The implementation of the measure will build on the experience of the existing school book rental scheme which is available in the majority of recognised primary schools and on the free school books pilot provided to over 100 primary DEIS schools in recent years.

My Department engaged with all relevant stakeholders as to how the scheme will operate. These included: primary school management bodies, unions, the National Parents Council Primary, representatives of booksellers and schoolbook publishers, IBEC, Retail Ireland, the Small Firms Association, Barnardos and the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. My Department also engaged with a number of schools, including some of the primary schools participating in the DEIS pilot free book scheme, to learn of their first-hand experience of operating a book rental scheme.

Detailed Guidance on the implementation of the scheme is published and has been made available to primary schools to ensure schools have sufficient time to implement the new scheme in advance of the start of the 2023/24 school year. The Guidance has been informed by the engagements with all relevant stakeholders.

The grant under the new scheme will issue to each recognised primary school in April. In the case of primary schools managed by ETBs, the funding will issue directly to the relevant ETB.

Schools will receive €96 per pupil and this will be paid based on the validated enrolment figures for September 2022. Therefore, a school that had 100 pupils enrolled on the 30^thSeptember 2022 will receive a book grant payment of €9600 in April 2023. A school that had 600 pupils enrolled on 30^thSeptember 2022 will receive a book grant payment of €57,600 in April 2023.

In recognition of the work required in schools associated with implementing this scheme, my Department has put in place an administrative support grant. The administration support grant can be used to employ an individual to support the administrative work on the scheme. This will be paid separately to the schoolbook grant and will issue to all primary schools and special schools.

Primary schools and special schools will continue to have autonomy to choose books that meet their curricular requirements and can do so from a supplier of their choosing, including local book shops. The scheme will seek to ensure that value for money is achieved and that primary schools and special schools will be supported to implement the scheme in a way that has the best learning outcomes for pupils.

As Minister for Education, I am acutely aware of the various costs faced by families upon the return of their children to school each September. This landmark new provision will significantly reduce the back to school financial burden for many families.