Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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462. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total expenditure on public schoolbooks since the scheme was introduced, in tabular form. [16599/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government acknowledges that education should be inclusive of all students, recognising that particular students may need particular supports. It commits to continue work to tackle all forms of disadvantage in education and promote inclusivity and to provide free schoolbooks to all children in the free education system and introduce changes as needed to the operation of this scheme. As Minister for Education, I want to ensure that all of our children and young people have the opportunity of access to education which empowers them to thrive and realise the full extent of their potential.

The total expenditure on schoolbooks under the Primary Schoolbooks Scheme for the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 school years, and the Junior Cycle Schoolbooks Scheme for the 2024/2025 school year is included in the table below.

In Budget 2025 the Government announced that the free schoolbooks scheme is to be extended to students in Senior Cycle, including Transition Year, in recognised post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme from the start of the 2025/26 school year.

The total allocation in 2025 to implement the free schoolbooks schemes in all primary, special and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme is €170 million.