Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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81. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that the free primary schoolbooks scheme allocation to a school (details supplied) factors in exceptional circumstances to ensure that all students receive their books; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21919/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I recently announced details of Ireland’s first national primary school book scheme, which will provide free schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks, in recognised 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. 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.

The grant under the new scheme, is a permanent measure. For the 2023/24 school year €96 per pupil was recently paid in line with validated pupil enrolment on 30 September 2022.

The basis of the grant funding provided is that it eliminates the overall cost of schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks for parents. Parents must not be asked to purchase schoolbooks, workbooks or copybooks or to make a contribution to the school towards the cost of these items.

In certain circumstances where a school enrolls a number of new pupils after 30th September 2023 and where funding was not originally allocated to take account of these pupils, the school may contact my Department to make an application for additional funding setting out the detail of the additional enrolments. Such applications will be considered on a case by case basis. The contact information for my Department is set out in the Guidance document that has issued to schools and is available at gov.ie - Free Primary Schoolbooks Scheme (www.gov.ie)