Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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122. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide an update on the little book bag initiative; the number of books distributed since its inception; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19137/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Under the Little Library initiative, every 4-5 year old child is invited to visit their local library and collect a free bag of books in Irish or in English, and to become library members. The aim of this initiative is to ensure that all children have access to books in their home, to develop children’s language skills and imagination, and to foster a lifelong love of reading.

This initiative is led by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) and the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA).

In the scheme’s current format, over 120,000 Book-Bags have been collected by children and their parents in the last two years. This represents an aggregate uptake of 92% across 2022 and 2023. Libraries Ireland and the LGMA report that the scheme is directly responsible for over 30,000 children joining their local library each year.

My Department recently concluded an evaluation of the 2022 Little Library initiative. Findings were overwhelmingly positive.

In addition, in 2023, my Department trialed an expansion of the Little Library initiative called ‘Little Book at Bedtime,’ which provided 190,000 bedtime books in Irish or in English for children aged 4 and under nationwide.

My Department in conjunction with other stakeholders are currently examining options for future iterations of this scheme.