Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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207. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the plans in place for the immediate expansion of the Junior Certificate school programme demonstration library project, by school; how the benefits of dedicated library spaces and professional librarians, particularly in DEIS schools, will be maximised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38916/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP) was introduced in 1996, it is a social inclusion programme that is aimed at students who are identified as being at risk of being socially or academically isolated or at risk of early school leaving before the (then) Junior Certificate has been achieved. Currently, 223 schools are within the JCSP.

One of the initiatives under the JCSP is the JCSP Demonstration Library Project. School librarians work as part of a network of librarians in the JCSP Demonstration Library Project. Within the Demonstration Library Project, there are 32 professional librarians employed by the CDETB who are based in 30 schools that operate the library facility. They are managed by the Senior Librarian. Librarians are responsible, together with key school staff, for drawing up and implementing library strategies to tackle the literacy difficulties experienced by many JCSP students.

As part of the implementation of the Framework for Junior Cycle (2015), it was agreed to carry out a review of the JCSP and consider the extent to which the needs of students undertaking the JCSP are met through the Junior Cycle. Work is currently ongoing in this regard.