Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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666.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children who will benefit from the free schoolbooks scheme at second level under the junior cycle scheme for the 2024 2025 academic year, by local authority area, in tabular form.[35519/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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On 5th of March, I announced details of a new 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 have also received 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 in this new academic year.

The investment of €68 million in 2024 significantly increases the funding that was previously 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.

The grant under the Junior Cycle scheme was paid to post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme in March 2024. This was to ensure that schools had funding in place to make the necessary arrangements to implement the new scheme in advance of the start of this school year. For the 2024/25 school year schools have received a per capita rate of €309 per student enrolled in Junior Cycle years based on September 2023 enrolment figures.

The Department of Education has also allocated an administration support grant to schools for the 2024/25 school year, based on the size of the school to assist with the additional work required in order to implement the scheme. The post-primary administration support grant for 2024/2025 was paid to schools in May 2024.

The numbers of students who will benefit from this scheme in the current school year by local authority are detailed at the following link:

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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667.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children who will benefit from the free schoolbooks scheme at primary level for the 2024-2025 academic year, by local authority area, in tabular form.[35520/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Budget 2024 saw an investment of over €47 million to continue implementation of the free schoolbooks scheme at primary level. On the 8^thMay I announced details of year 2 of the Primary Schoolbooks Scheme which, for the second year, provides at a minimum, free schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks to all pupils enrolled in recognised primary and special schools. More than 555,000 pupils enrolled in approximately 3,230 primary schools, including over 130 special schools will continue to benefit from this scheme in this school year.

The grant under the Primary Schoolbooks Scheme was paid to recognised primary and special schools in May 2024. For the 2024/25 school year schools have received a per capita rate of €80 per pupil enrolled based on September 2023 enrolment figures.

The Department of Education has also allocated an administration support grant to schools for the 2024/25 school year, based on the size of the school to assist with the additional work required in order to implement the scheme. The primary administration support grant for 2024/2025 issued to schools in June.

The numbers of children who will benefit from this scheme in the current school year by local authority area is detailed at the following link: