asked the Minister for Education if he is aware of the excessive shortfall in the amount of money provided for the Free Books Scheme as operated by Donegal VEC and that students paying £25 approximately for books and who expect to get a substantial refund are only receiving £2.64 repayment; why only medical card holders qualify for aid under this scheme; if he considers that the scheme is worth operating in its present form which is misleading to many comparatively poor families, who borrow the required amount on the understanding that some refund of the cost of the books will be obtained; and if he will provide further funds to Donegal VEC to meet their commitments in such cases.
Written Answers. - Donegal Free Books Scheme.
381.
It is open to vocational education committees to operate the Free Books Scheme in any one of, or any combination of, the following ways in respect of necessitous pupils: (a) by grant of the full cost of books; (b) by grant of the part cost of the books; (c) by the purchase of second-hand books for distribution; (d) by a book loan scheme; (e) by a part loan and part grant scheme.
Necessitous pupils are defined, for the purpose of the scheme, as those from homes where genuine hardship exists because of unemployment, prolonged illness of parent, large family with inadequate means, mother a widow or other circumstances that would connote a similar degree of domestic financial hardship. All pupils deemed necessitous in accordance with these guidelines rank for consideration; possession of a medical card is not the sole criterion of need and, of itself, does not automatically qualify the bearer for aid under the scheme.
Where a committee utilises the money available to make a standard part-cost grant for the largest possible number of pupils considered to be in need, the amount of that grant will naturally form a smaller portion of the total cost in each case than if fullcost grants were made to some pupils or if a higher criterion of need were applied. It is nevertheless, considered that the scheme is worth operating under the present guidelines.
All moneys available for the scheme for 1977-78 school year have already been allocated to vocational education committees and it would not be possible, at this stage, to make a further grant to the Donegal committee.