Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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227. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to consider extending the free schoolbooks scheme to include tablet devices at second level. [18228/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As Minister for Education, I want to ensure that all children and young people have the opportunity of access to education that empowers them to thrive and realise their full potential.

On 5th February I announced details of the final phase of the free schoolbooks scheme with the extension of the scheme to Senior Cycle, including Transition Year, students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. From the start of the 2025/26 school year, for the first time, all children and young people enrolled in primary, special and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme will be provided with schoolbooks and core classroom resources.

A total funding package of over €170 million is available in 2025 under the schoolbooks scheme and the scheme will benefit almost one million children and young people and will help to ease the financial burden facing families at back-to-school time.

My department has published guidance for post-primary schools around the operation of the Post-primary Schoolbooks Scheme, in continued engagement with all stakeholders. Schoolbooks can include eBooks where they are used alongside or in place of physical books. Parents/guardians of students will not be asked to purchase schoolbooks or to make a financial contribution to the school towards the cost of schoolbooks.

Funding under the Post-primary Schoolbooks Scheme does not extend to including the purchase of digital devices by schools.

However, it is recognised that some post-primary schools have, over the past number of years, moved away from the use of schoolbooks, including eBooks. Teachers in these schools have generated their own bank of resources for students. Students access these resources in the main through digital devices. Such schools may still require a small number of schoolbooks each year, such as English plays and novels. When schools that use teacher-generated resources and content have eliminated the cost of all required schoolbooks and classroom resources, as detailed in the scheme guidance, they may use any surplus funding to cover other resources associated with teacher-generated resources such as purchasing or subscribing to educational apps. If surplus funding remains, schools may use the funding to facilitate the provision of a digital device loan scheme to students, as required.

Schools may use surplus funding for digital media support, which relates to teaching and learning within curricular requirements. Decisions regarding the use of digital technology, such as ebooks and ipads, in schools is a matter for the board of management/ETB of each school. Schools are advised to consult with members of the school community including parents/guardians when planning for the introduction of digital technologies, with cost and other implications being fully considered.