Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 March 2026
340. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the free schoolbook scheme receives funding through the social inclusion fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17937/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra342. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the social inclusion fund in the Department provided funding for schoolbooks to tackle educational disadvantage for the year 2025 and 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17939/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 340 and 342 together.
The key objectives of the free schoolbooks’ schemes are about ensuring every child and young person enrolled in schools in the Free Education Scheme has the resources required to access education and easing the financial burden around back-to-school costs, which continue to be a cause of financial difficulty for many families each year.
In Budget 2025, my Department announced that the schoolbooks scheme would be further extended to include students in Senior Cycle years, including Transition Year, in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. This scheme means that all students from Junior Infants to Senior Cycle, in the Free Education Scheme, will experience the benefit of free schoolbooks and classroom resources.
In 2025, the cost of implementing the free schoolbooks schemes was as follows –
|
Primary schoolbooks scheme |
€46.4 million |
|
Post-Primary schoolbooks scheme |
€116.7 million |
Budget 2026 provides funding of €163.453 million so that the schoolbooks scheme will continue for the 2026/27 school years, as follows -
|
Primary schoolbooks scheme |
€46.343 million |
|
Post-Primary schoolbooks scheme |
€117.11 million |
The investment in 2026 means schools can continue to provide free schoolbooks to all children and young people enrolled in schools in the Free Education Scheme.
This realises the Government’s commitment to implement a free schoolbooks scheme to schools nationwide.
