School books for school year 2024-25

Schoolbooks for pupils in recognised Primary and Special Schools 2024/25
Dear Parent/Guardian,
In Budget 2023, I was delighted to secure funding for a landmark new scheme that
provided, for the first time ever, free schoolbooks for all children and young people enrolled
in recognised primary schools and special schools.
Year 1 of this valuable scheme saw all children and young people in recognised primary
and special schools being provided with the books, workbooks copybooks they needed and
other items to support them in maximising their journey through education.
My Department will continue to provide this funding to schools for the coming school year.
This means that:
• schoolbooks, workbooks, and copybooks will be provided to all children and young
people enrolled in your school
• the cost of these items will be eliminated for your families and will ease the financial
burden facing families at back-to-school time.
Through this measure, we are enhancing equity of access to education. All children and
young people enrolled in recognised primary and special schools can commence the new
school year in 2024/25 with the same schoolbooks and classroom resources as other
children and young people in their class.
It is important to note that schools have been advised to provide, at a minimum,
schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks from the funding available. Once these have been
provided, the funds should then be used to eliminate costs of related classroom resources
such as pens, pencils, and erasers or other materials, as far as possible.
My Department has published an information leaflet for parents/guardians on how the new
scheme will operate. The scheme guidance and parents’ leaflet is published at
www.gov.ie/schoolbookschemes.Should you have any query in relation to this new
scheme, please email: primaryschoolbooks@education.gov.ie
With every good wish
Norma Foley TD
Minister for Education