Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

272.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to review correspondence from Monaghan County Council (details supplied); and if she will address the issues highlighted and respond to same. [24728/24]

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

On 5th of March, I announced details of a new ground-breaking scheme which provides free schoolbooks to Junior Cycle students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. Special schools who have students enrolled in Junior Cycle programmes will also receive this funding. More than 213,000 students enrolled in approximately 670 post-primary schools and over 65 special schools, will benefit from the new scheme.

The investment of €68 million in 2024 significantly increases the funding that is currently provided to post-primary schools for schoolbooks. It reinforces the Government’s commitment to expand the free schoolbooks scheme to schools nationwide, as resources allow.

My Department has published guidance for post-primary schools around the operation of the Junior Cycle schoolbooks scheme, in continued engagement with all stakeholders. This has included representatives for Bookselling Ireland and the Irish Education Publishers Association as well as post-primary education management bodies, unions, Society of Saint Vincent De Paul and Barnardos.

It is important to note that schools, like other organisations that receive public sector funding, have obligations that stem from both EU and national public procurement rules when sourcing goods and services. The guidance published in early March does not place any additional responsibilities upon schools that are not already in legislation.

In consultation with key procurement partners, my Department has developed Procurement Guidance for post-primary schools. This is in addition to supplementary support including templates to support schools provide information to bookshops when seeking a quotation. The procurement guidance and template documents are available on the School's Procurement Unit website at

The Multi Supplier Framework Agreement for the supply of learner books & exam papers for the Education & Training Boards (ETBs) was established in November 2021 by the Education Procurement Service on instruction of the Education & Training Boards. This was following a competition process where all national and local bookshops were encouraged to participate and every effort was made to ensure full SME participation on a local level.

All suppliers who submitted a tender response were admitted to the Framework.

The Framework Agreement is divided into sixteen (16) lots mirroring the ETB geographical structure. A mixture of both national and SME book providers are admitted across all the 16 lots.

Schools and centres under each local ETB have been utilising this Framework since 2021 for their school book and exam paper requirements.

It is recognised that the procurement of goods and services using centrally available national arrangements is the most efficient and compliant process for contracting authorities, such as ETBs, to procure their requirements including books. This framework was established with consideration of both the interests of ETBs and local suppliers.

This national framework will operate for 4 years and will then be run in advance of this, where again all bookshops both local and national will have an opportunity to tender for the required goods.