Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
502. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education to outline the funding provided in each year since 2020 for the provision of school libraries; what current support streams are in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37010/23]
View answerMy Department provides capitation funding to primary and post primary schools and schools use this funding stream to resource their schools, including providing literacy resources. The JCSP Demonstration Library Project continues to receive funding from my Department, including in the years 2020 to 2022 as set out below. The JCSP is a social inclusion programme which includes the demonstration library project which involves 30 schools.
|
Year |
Total |
|
2020 |
€2,434,601 |
|
2021 |
€2,426,420 |
|
2022 |
€2,500,311 |
Furthermore, in 2022 once-off funding of €20 million was made available to all recognised primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme to purchase books, audio books and other media for the purposes of improving their existing literacy-resource banks.
Assistance was also provided by my Department, with the support of the Public Library Service, to the schools on how best to use the funding, through a guidance note, webinars and support from local libraries, that support is still available to schools.
In Budget 2023, my Department announced over €50 million to provide free schoolbooks to primary school pupils within the free education scheme from September 2023. At a minimum the scheme will provide free schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks for all pupils in recognised primary schools and special schools and will eliminate the cost of these items for parents of children and young people enrolled in these schools. Any surplus grant can be used to purchase shared books, audio books and other material to increase the literacy (in English, Irish or other languages) and numeracy resources in a school. Funding should only be used for this purpose, however, where all other schoolbooks, workbooks, copybooks and related classroom resources costs have been met.
As no doubt the Deputy is aware, library membership is completely free of charge for everyone in every library in the country. A teacher’s card is made available to every teacher in every school, which enables each teacher to borrow items for his/her class. Further information on the services to schools can be found at www.librariesireland.ie/services/right-to-read/services-to-schools. Libraries Ireland also offer a Digital Library Service, and currently anyone with a library card can access the eBooks, audiobooks and eLearning Resources.
There is also a commitment in the new strategy for the public libraries, The Library is the Place: Information, Recreation, Inspiration National Public Library Strategy 2023-2027, to work with my Department to build on the current provision of library services to primary and post primary schools and explore the potential for an expanded programme of library supports, which will be delivered in alignment with this Department’s forthcoming new national strategy on literacy and numeracy.
I hope this information is of assistance to the Deputy.
