1506. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans for investment in libraries in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63649/26]

The government recognises the important role that school libraries play in supporting improved literacy, learning, fostering a love for reading, providing equitable access to resources and student engagement across all age groups.

Decisions in relation to investment in libraries, including any proposals for new or expanded funding schemes, are a matter for the annual estimates and budgetary process.

As the Deputy would be aware, once off funding of €20 million was made available in May 2022 to enable all recognised primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme to improve their existing literacy resource banks.

Webinars and the Public Library Resource Guide for Schools provide information for primary and post-primary schools to develop and expand reading and literacy collections within the school setting. The Public Library Supports for Schools are jointly agreed by my department and the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht.

A teacher’s card is made available to every teacher in every school, which enables each teacher to borrow items for his/her class. As no doubt the Deputy is aware, library membership is completely free of charge for everyone in every library in the country.

Further information on the services to schools can be found at Services to Schools | Libraries Ireland. Libraries Ireland also offer a Digital Library Service, and anyone with a library card can access the eBooks, Audio books and eLearning Resources.

The Library Service published ‘The Library is the Place: National Public Library Strategy 2023-2027’ in July 2023. Under this strategy and the Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy, the Department will further enhance the partnership with the Library Service to increase school usages of the resources that are available through the public libraries.

Since 2023 my department has issued a grant to provide free schoolbooks for all children and young people enrolled in all recognised primary schools, including special schools. In 2024 this grant was extended to provide free schoolbooks for all Junior Cycle students, and since September 2025 to include all Senior Cycle students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. Where any surplus funding remains after all other schoolbooks and related classroom resources costs have been met, a school has the discretion to purchase library books, audio books and other material to increase the literacy (in English, Irish or other languages) and numeracy resources for their school.

'Ireland’s Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy 2024-2033: Every Learner from Birth to Young Adulthood' and five-year implementation plan was published in May 2024 by the Department of Education and Youth and the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. This strategy aims to promote the development of essential literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy skills. Work is continuing in relation to action 1.3.5 of the Strategy, ‘Explore the potential for an expanded programme of library support services to Early Learning and Care (ELC) settings, primary and post primary schools’; In 2025, public libraries provided over 3,300 events and activities to support ELC settings, over 27,000 primary school class visits and in excess of 3,000 post primary class visits to libraries.

I hope this information is of assistance to the Deputy.