Schoolbooks Scheme in Post-Primary Schools

The Post-primary Schoolbooks Scheme, extended to Senior Cycle for the 2025/26 school year, will remove the cost from families of funding schoolbooks, including eBooks, and core classroom resources for all students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. A full description of what is to be provided by schools to students is provided in the guidance.

If schools have surplus funding, they may choose to purchase additional classroom resources for students. Expenditure under additional classroom resources is limited to expenditure that, up to the commencement of the scheme, was borne by parents/guardians, either by providing the item or paying a fee to the school to provide the item.

Funding under the Post-primary Schoolbooks Scheme does not extend to including the supply of digital devices by schools. However, schools may use the funding for digital media support, which relates to teaching and learning within curricular requirements as outlined in the guidance.

All schoolbooks remain the property of the school and are on loan to students.

A separate Administration Grant has put in place for schools, for administrative support. Further information on the rate of the Administrative Support Grant and its payment are contained within the guidance.

The guidance for the 2025/2026 school year has been developed to assist post-primary schools to implement the scheme in advance of the 2025/26 school year. It is important that all schools consult the guidance to ensure that the scheme is implemented in line with the scheme requirements.

The Department has updated the quick reference guide for schools to support schools by answering common questions schools may have about the scheme.

Schools have the autonomy to implement the scheme within the scope of the guidance. Schools have been asked to communicate to parents/guardians how the scheme will be run in their school. This will help parents/guardians plan for any expenditure that may be required to cover additional resources not being provided under the scheme.

The Department has also created a parents/guardians information leaflet and frequently asked question pamphlet which can be accessed below.

The Post-primary Schoolbooks Scheme will remove the cost from families of funding schoolbooks for children and young people enrolled in in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. A parent’s leaflet has been created to provide parents/guardians with information about the scheme. This can be downloaded below.

Schools have obligations to comply with the National Procurement Guidelines and the relevant legislation that governs public procurement in Ireland when sourcing goods and services. All tenders using public funds must also include green public procurement (GPP).

The Schools Procurement Unit (SPU) is the central support resource for providing guidance to all recognised primary schools, including special schools, and to post-primary schools (except ETB schools) on any procurement-related issue. The SPU delivers free advice and practical support to schools to help them achieve improvements in their procurement processes, practices and outcomes. The unit has produced Guidance for Schools on Good Procurement Practices which is available at www.spu.ie

The guidance does not place any additional responsibilities upon schools that are not already in legislation. They offer guidance for schools on ways to satisfy their obligations to the National Procurement Guidelines and the legislation that governs public procurement in Ireland when sourcing goods and services.

The Department in conjunction with the Education Procurement Service and the Schools Procurement Unit have developed a Dynamic Purchasing System to assist Voluntary Secondary and Community and Comprehensive Schools meet their public procurement obligations from 2025. A Dynamic Purchasing System is an electronic procurement system that public sector buyers use to purchase goods, services, or works. Schools will use it to purchase schoolbooks and workbooks.

All Voluntary Secondary and Community and Comprehensive Schools that have total schoolbook contracts in excess of €50,000, (excluding VAT) will be required to procure schoolbooks through the DPS. Where the total contract value is less than €50,000 schools will be encouraged to use the DPS.

When the DPS is active, the Department will contact all Voluntary Secondary and Community and Comprehensive Schools and will provide supports and resources in how to use it.

ETB schools will continue to be supported by their relevant ETB through the existing schoolbooks purchasing framework. ETB schools are not to use the DPS for ordering and procurement of schoolbooks.

These supports and resources are available at: Post-Primary Schoolbooks Scheme - SPU

The Department of Education, together with Schools Procurement Unit (SPU), is developing guidance for schools to assist them with the procurement process for the Post-primary Schoolbooks Scheme. Once final, the guidance will be published here.

The Schools Procurement Unit (SPU) is the central support resource for providing guidance to schools (except ETB schools) on any procurement-related issue.

Information and supporting guidance in relation to the DPS will be hosted on the Schoolbooks Section of the School’s Procurement Unit website www.spu.ie. Schools are advised to refer to the SPU website on a regular basis over the coming months where additional content and guidance videos will be posited.

Schools should also refer to the template for quotations for assistance with requesting quotations from suppliers. This Post-primary School Quotation Template excel document can be downloaded from the Schools Procurement Unit website on their dedicated Schoolbooks Scheme webpage: Post-Primary Schoolbooks Scheme- SPU

There are a number of information resources available with regards to responsibilities in this area, and are linked below:

• Schools Procurement Unit
• Office of Government Procurement
• Further information on Green Public Procurement
• Green Public Procurement Guidelines

The Office of Government Procurement also aims to promote schemes to facilitate Small and Medium sized Enterprise (SME) participation in Public Procurement. DPER Circular 05/2023 refers to initiatives to assist SMEs in Public Procurement and outlines the schemes which schools may consider as part of their procurement process. For further information this circular can be accessed below.

Initiatives to assist SMEs in Public Procurement

The Financial Services Support Unit (FSSU) supports boards of management in complying with the provisions of the Education Act 1998 in terms of transparency, accountability, and financial responsibility for State and other funding. In accordance with DE Circular 02/2018, the Financial Services Support Unit (FSSU) supports boards of management in the Community & Comprehensive and Voluntary Secondary School sectors.

This includes standardising arrangements for compliance with accounting requirements under Section 18 of the Education Act 1998 and enhancing current financial support structures for schools. The FSSU also supports boards of management in meeting their compliance requirements to other regulatory and statutory bodies.

The FSSU has also created guidance to support schools in administering the financial aspects of the Post-primary Schoolbooks Scheme.

• FSSU website
• Education Circular 02/2018 Operation of the Financial Support Services Unit (FSSU)

Free Schoolbooks Scheme for Primary and Special Schools Guidelines 2024/2025

• Minister McEntee announces final phase of free schoolbooks scheme
• Minister Foley announces details of a new scheme to eliminate the cost of schoolbooks for families of Junior Cycle students