Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 July 2026
335. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children who will benefit from the free schoolbooks scheme at primary level for the 2026-2027 academic year, by local authority area, in tabular form. [54547/26]
View answerThe Government recognises that the cost of preparing children for school each September can be a cause of financial difficulty and worry for many Irish families.
2025 saw the introduction of the final phase of the free schoolbooks scheme, with the extension of the scheme to Senior Cycle students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. In 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 were provided with schoolbooks/eBooks and core classroom resources. Parents and guardians were not asked to purchase or to make a financial contribution to the school towards the cost of these items.
With a total funding package of over €160 million available in 2026, the Schoolbooks Scheme will continue to benefit almost one million children and young people and is helping to ease the financial burden facing families at back-to-school time.
This means every child in the Free Education Scheme in our country continues to receive free schoolbooks/eBooks and core classroom resources.
This delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to provide free schoolbooks to all children in the free education system and introduce changes as needed to the operation of this scheme.
Book grant funding issued to primary schools in May 2026 so that schools have enough time to implement the scheme in advance of the new school year.
My department has also allocated an administration support grant to schools for the forthcoming school year, based on the size of the school to assist with the additional work required in order to implement the scheme. Payment of the Administration Support Grant issued to primary schools in May 2026.
The numbers of primary students who will benefit from this scheme in the current school year by local authority are detailed in the attached document.
