Vol. 513 No. 6
123 Mr. Quinn 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 the cost of school books; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3187/00]
I appreciate that costs associated with the purchase of school books can place a financial burden on parents. To alleviate such burdens, my Department operates a grant scheme towards the cost of providing school textbooks for needy pupils in primary and post-primary 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 substance abuse, which would indicate a similar degree of financial hardship.
Principal teachers administer the book grant schemes in schools in a flexible way under the terms of the schemes based on their knowledge of particular circumstances in individual cases.
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 rental schemes to the greatest extent possible.
Special grants are provided to schools at second level, which are categorised as disadvantaged, to assist them in the establishment of book loan/rental schemes. At primary level schools that opt for book rental schemes are allocated enhanced grants to encourage schools to participate in such schemes.
In 1999, £4.463 million was allocated at second level as aid towards the cost of providing school textbooks for needy pupils while an amount of £2.585 million was disbursed at primary level.
