Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 April 2024
186. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education if her Department will review the tendering arrangements for secondary school books; and if consideration can be given to tendering in smaller lots, such as by school year or subject, to allow local bookshops to be able to tender; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17135/24]
View answerAs you are aware in early March, I announced details of a new ground-breaking scheme which provides free schoolbooks to Junior Cycle students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. To support its implementation my Department published guidance for schools on the new Junior Cycle Schoolbooks Scheme.
More than 213,000 students enrolled in approximately 670 post-primary schools and over 65 special schools, will benefit from the new scheme. The investment of €68 million in 2024 significantly increases the funding that is currently provided for schoolbooks and introduces a free schoolbooks scheme to Junior Cycle years in all post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme.
I appreciate that the free Junior Cycle Schoolbooks Scheme will increase the administrative burden on post-primary schools. That is why, similar to the primary scheme, an Administration Support Grant has been put in place to assist post-primary schools with the administrative work involved in implementing this scheme.
Schools may use this grant to employ a person to work for a specified number of days to carry out administrative work on the scheme. Ten, 13 or 16 days are allocated to each post-primary school, based on the size of the school’s Junior Cycle enrolment numbers.
My Department is aware that many post-primary schools currently implement some form of book rental scheme and have experience in purchasing schoolbooks. Schools have obligations that stem from both EU and national public procurement rules when sourcing goods and services. The schoolbooks scheme does not place any additional responsibilities upon schools that are not already in legislation.
The Schools Procurement Unit (SPU) is the central support resource for providing guidance to all recognised primary schools, including special schools, and post-primary schools (except ETB schools) on any procurement-related issue. They offer guidance and practical support to schools on ways to satisfy their procurement obligations when sourcing goods and services. ETB schools are supported in their procurement by the relevant ETB.
I am also conscious that procurement may seem daunting for larger post-primary schools that are tendering schoolbook contracts, particularly where these are higher-value contracts.
My Department is providing additional procurement support to post-primary schools to assist them in meeting EU and national public procurement obligations.
This includes procurement webinars, publication of a procurement guidance document, user guides for the online tenders system and template documents for schools to use. There will also be additional practical supports, including online drop-in clinics with procurement expertise available to assist schools with undertaking the process of procurement and enabling them to fulfil these requirements. Supports will be provided by the Schools Procurement Unit, enhanced with additional support from the Education Shared Business Service team in my Department and augmented with further procurement expertise.
Details on to access the supports and resources available will continue to be provided to schools over the coming period.
