'Momentous ground-breaking day' as Laois primary pupils to get 'free' schoolbooks

Free books will be provided in all primary schools and special schools across Laois. 

It comes as the government agrees to pay primary schools €96 per pupil under the free schoolbooks scheme.   

Laois Offaly Minister of State Pippa Hackett welcomed the move and commended the Department of Education.  

“Today is a momentous day. Buying schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks has been a significant cost in every family for generations. This move, to provide these items at no cost to parents, is permanent and is one less worry in the present high cost of living. I don’t believe there is a parent of a pupil in a primary or special school in the country who would disagree,”  said the Green Party senator.  

The move was also welcomed by TD Charlie Flanagan who said the initiative will provide not only free schoolbooks, but also workbooks and copybooks easing the financial burdens facing families during back-to-school- time.

“This scheme will ensure that parents and guardians will not be asked to buy or rent any schoolbooks, workbooks or copy books as of Autumn 2023,” said Deputy Flanagan. 

“In 2020, Fine Gael in Government announced a new pilot programme which provided free school books to more than 100 primary schools which were part of the DEIS programme, in both rural and urban areas. I’m delighted to have seen this pilot project expanded to better support families and pupils.

“This ground-breaking, permanent measure will ease some of the financial burden facing families with the back-to- school costs.

“Around 558,000 children and young people, their families and their schools around the country will benefit from the initiative,” he remarked. 

“The objective of the new scheme is about ensuring every child has the resources required to access education and also easing financial burdens surrounding the back-to-school costs which can be a cause of financial difficulty for many families each year,” concluded Deputy Flanagan.

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The move follows a Government announcement in Budget 2023 of a package of free schoolbooks for more than 500,000 primary school pupils from September 2023 at a cost of about €54 million.