Vol. 509 No. 3
37 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Education and Science the steps, if any, being taken to reduce the cost of school books; the plans, if any, he has for additional assistance for parents who have difficulty in meeting these costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20084/99]
A consultancy report, which was submitted to my Department in 1993, dealt with the factors which contribute to the cost of school text books. The main conclusion of the report was that book rental schemes are the most practical way of limiting the cost of school books to parents.
The report, copies of which were sent to all schools, contains a number of useful suggestions, including a code of good practice for successful operation of book rental schemes. My Department endorses the recommendations and urges school authorities to put in place book loan rental schemes to the greatest extent possible.
The report recommended also that a special grant be made to disadvantaged schools which commit themselves to book rental schemes, to help overcome problems of seed capital. Since 1994 special grants have been provided, to primary and second level schools which are categorised as disadvantaged to assist in the establishment of book loan-rental schemes.
My Department also provides grants to help with the cost of school text books for necessitous pupils in first level and second level schools. For the purposes of these grants, a needy pupil is a pupil from a family where there is genuine hardship because of unemployment, prolonged illness of a parent, large family size with inadequate means, single parenthood, or other family circumstances – such as alcoholism – which would indicate a similar degree of financial hardship.
