Free school books scheme to be extended to secondary-level students
THE Government is set to extend a free school books scheme to secondary schools in next month’s Budget in a move that will cost around €150m, the Irish Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Ministers became aware of the full political impact of the free books scheme introduced for primary pupils last year, at a cost of €50m, as they returned to school this month.
Cabinet sources this weekend said they believe that rolling out a similar scheme for secondary school students would be ‘an election winner at a relatively low cost’.
Education Minister Norma Foley made a full costed proposal to the Department of Public Expenditure to extend the free books scheme, but the cost of the proposal was not disclosed until now.
A senior source at the Department of Public Expenditure told the MoS: ‘The ballpark figure for the provision of free school books to both primary and secondary schools is €200m. That would put the secondary school figure at €150m. That is our estimate and we have, of course, taken Ms Foley’s costing into account.’
‘She hasn’t given it enough of a push’
Ministers from the three Coalition parties expressed support for the extension of the scheme following reports in their constituencies of a hugely positive reaction from parents of primary school children, many of whom realised books were free only when their children began preparing to return to the classroom.
The initial primary school scheme – first revealed by the MoS last autumn – was introduced with little fanfare in last year’s Budget.
But as word of the success of the scheme spread through Government in recent weeks, the minister has begun to be referred to as ‘Free Books Foley’.
One minister said: ‘We are always hearing about a [former education minister] Donogh O’Malley moment in politics, and this was a genuine move of such impact. But some of us suspect that Norma didn’t realise it. Either way, she hasn’t given it enough of a push publicly.
‘It was only when parents started thanking me in the constituency that I realised what a success it was… and all for only €50m.’
Sources in the Department of Public Expenditure said that Minister Paschal Donohoe will ‘look favourably upon the proposal’. One source told the MoS: ‘Ms Foley has made the proposal and provided costing. Now Mr Donohoe has to assess the proposal and then speak to Ms Foley as part of the series of bilateral meetings he will have with all ministers about the Budget. That meeting is yet to happen.’
However, several Cabinet sources have said there is broad support across the Government for the measure.
One minister said: ‘This is one of those measures that completely outweighs its cost. You could throw half a billion at tax cuts but it’s not going to compare to a struggling household realising during the August rush for back to school that they don’t have to pay for school books.
‘We’ve heard colloquially, and even within Government, that the questions started going around the primary parents’ WhatsApp chats asking the usual questions about where to get schoolbooks and the answer came back that they’re free.
‘There was even a story about one Fianna Fáil member saying, “Don’t worry, Norma is looking after those.”’
Ms Foley’s party colleague, Finance Minister Michael McGrath, will have final oversight of the Budget, which will be finalised in co-operation with Mr Donohoe.
At a meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party last July, several TDs and senators urged Ms Foley and Mr McGrath to extend the free books scheme to post-primary school students.
Aside from extending the free books scheme, Ms Foley will also focus her budget demands on increasing the funding for special needs teachers and assistants.
She will also seek to reduce the teacher-pupil ratio.