Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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371. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 340 and 342 of 18 February 2026, when the free school book scheme funding will become available to schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29326/26]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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As Minister for Education and Youth, 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. The free Schoolbooks Scheme will benefit almost one million children and young people enrolled in recognised schools in the Free Education Scheme in 2026. It will help to ease the financial burden facing families at back-to-school time.

A funding package of over €160 million is available from my department in 2026 to ensure we provide schoolbooks and classroom resources to all students within the Free Education Scheme. My department will also continue to provide an administration support grant for schools in recognition of the volume of work to be undertaken in our schools to implement the scheme. Scheme guidance for the 2026/27 school year was published earlier this week and is available at www.gov.ie/schoolbookschemes

Funding has issued to post-primary schools this week and funding will issue to primary and special schools in the coming weeks.