Dear Parents/Guardians,

Re: Junior Cycle Schoolbooks Scheme for the 2024/25 school year.

For the 2024/25 school year all students in Junior Cycle years in the free education

system will receive free schoolbooks and certain other resources. These will be in

place in September 2024.

This new scheme is being introduced by Minister for Education Norma Foley TD. It is

in recognition of the cost of preparing children and young people for the return to

school. The new scheme eliminates the cost to parents/guardians of providing

schoolbooks and core classroom resources. The scheme will ensure equity of

access, where all children and young people enrolled in Junior Cycle years in post-

primary schools in the Free Education Scheme 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.

“Schoolbooks” includes all relevant schoolbooks, including ebooks at Junior Cert

level. It also covers workbooks in use in the school to support teaching and subject

learning at Junior Cycle. It also includes necessary additional texts such as novels

and plays for English or books of past Junior Cycle examination papers for all

subjects. Schools should determine whether it is more cost effective to

print/photocopy examination papers, which are available from the State Examination

Commission’s website or to purchase these.

Funding for the scheme in 2024/25 is being provided directly to post-primary schools

by the Department of Education. Schools now have responsibility for providing

schoolbooks and core classroom resources to all Junior Cycle students at the start of

forthcoming school year.

(Where parents/guardians of second and third year students currently own

their schoolbooks these can be used)

Parents/Guardians of students commencing second and third year will have already

purchased a significant amount of the schoolbooks and classroom resources

Junior Cycle Schoolbooks Scheme Guidance 2024/25

——

35

required for Junior Cycle. Any additional schoolbooks and core classroom resources

required by students in second and third year will now be covered under the new

scheme.

All schoolbooks and core classroom resources provided under the new scheme will

remain the property of the school, so that they can be reused in future years (where

applicable).

Schoolbooks will be provided on loan to students for the duration of the 2024/25

school year and must be returned to school at the end of the school year/at the end

of the 3 years of Junior Cycle.

Please remind your children to take care of their schoolbooks and classroom

resources and keep them in good condition during the period that they are in their

possession. It is not permitted to write on schoolbooks.

There may be some additional classroom resources that are not covered by the

scheme.

Further details (if any) on what items parents/guardians will need to supply for the

return to school in September 2024/pay a fee to the school for will be itemised and

communicated to parents/guardians by the school in due course.

Yours sincerely

Joe O'Dwyer

In Budget 2024 the Government provided over €68 million to extend the

free schoolbooks scheme to eliminate the cost of schoolbooks for

students in Junior Cycle years in post-primary schools

in the Free Education Scheme.

Free schoolbooks for all post-primary Junior Cycle students

Information for parents/guardians

The Government has introduced a new scheme from the start of the new school year 2024/25. Under this

scheme all schoolbooks and core classroom resources for students in Junior Cycle years in post-primary

schools will be provided to students directly by their school. There is no charge to parents/guardians for this,

as schools will receive funding from Government to cover these costs. Guidance has issued to schools on the

scheme and is available at gov.ie/schoolbookschemes.

Schoolbooks will be provided free to every

student on loan at the start of the school year.

Core classroom resources will also be provided

free to students by the school.

 The cost of phone pouches are not included in this scheme.

Funding under this scheme will not include the

purchase of digital devices.

The schoolbooks will be on loan to the students

and must be returned at the end of the school

year or at the end of Junior Cycle (as decided by

the school) or if the student leaves the school.

It is important that schoolbooks are kept in good

condition so they can be reused. Please help

make sure that your children keep the

schoolbooks safe and in good condition so that

they can be used again by another child.

New Government scheme for 2024/25 school year

gov.ie/SchoolBookSchemesIn Budget 2024 the Government provided over €68 million to extend the

free schoolbooks scheme to eliminate the cost of schoolbooks for

students in Junior Cycle years in post-primary schools

in the Free Education Scheme.

Free schoolbooks for all post-primary Junior Cycle students

Information for parents/guardians

The Government has introduced a new scheme from the start of the new school year 2024/25. Under this

scheme all schoolbooks and core classroom resources for students in Junior Cycle years in post-primary

schools will be provided to students directly by their school. There is no charge to parents/guardians for this,

as schools will receive funding from Government to cover these costs. Guidance has issued to schools on the

scheme and is available at gov.ie/schoolbookschemes.

Schoolbooks will be provided free to every

student on loan at the start of the school year.

Core classroom resources will also be provided

free to students by the school.

Schools must communicate with parents and

guardians about this new scheme and identify

any additional classroom resources that are not

provided to students under the scheme and the

reason for this. The communication from the

school will inform parents if need to buy these

items or pay a fee to the school for supply of

the item.

Funding under this scheme will not include the

purchase of digital devices.

The schoolbooks will be on loan to the students

and must be returned at the end of the school

year or at the end of Junior Cycle (as decided by

the school) or if the student leaves the school.

It is important that schoolbooks are kept in good

condition so they can be reused. Please help

make sure that your children keep the

schoolbooks safe and in good condition so that

they can be used again by another child.

New Government scheme for 2024/25 school year

gov.ie/SchoolBookSchemesIn Budget 2024 the Government provided over €68 million to extend the

free schoolbooks scheme to eliminate the cost of schoolbooks for

students in Junior Cycle years in post-primary schools

in the Free Education Scheme.

Free schoolbooks for all post-primary Junior Cycle students

Information for parents/guardians

The Government has introduced a new scheme from the start of the new school year 2024/25. Under this

scheme all schoolbooks and core classroom resources for students in Junior Cycle years in post-primary

schools will be provided to students directly by their school. There is no charge to parents/guardians for this,

as schools will receive funding from Government to cover these costs. Guidance has issued to schools on the

scheme and is available at gov.ie/schoolbookschemes.

Schoolbooks will be provided free to every

student on loan at the start of the school year.

Core classroom resources will also be provided

free to students by the school.

Schools must communicate with parents and

guardians about this new scheme and identify

any additional classroom resources that are not

provided to students under the scheme and the

reason for this. The communication from the

school will inform parents if need to buy these

items or pay a fee to the school for supply of

the item.

Funding under this scheme will not include the

purchase of digital devices.

The schoolbooks will be on loan to the students

and must be returned at the end of the school

year or at the end of Junior Cycle (as decided by

the school) or if the student leaves the school.

It is important that schoolbooks are kept in good

condition so they can be reused. Please help

make sure that your children keep the

schoolbooks safe and in good condition so that

they can be used again by another child.

New Government scheme for 2024/25 school year

gov.ie/SchoolBookSchemesIn Budget 2024 the Government provided over €68 million to extend the

free schoolbooks scheme to eliminate the cost of schoolbooks for

students in Junior Cycle years in post-primary schools

in the Free Education Scheme.

Free schoolbooks for all post-primary Junior Cycle students

Information for parents/guardians

The Government has introduced a new scheme from the start of the new school year 2024/25. Under this

scheme all schoolbooks and core classroom resources for students in Junior Cycle years in post-primary

schools will be provided to students directly by their school. There is no charge to parents/guardians for this,

as schools will receive funding from Government to cover these costs. Guidance has issued to schools on the

scheme and is available at gov.ie/schoolbookschemes.

Schoolbooks will be provided free to every

student on loan at the start of the school year.

Core classroom resources will also be provided

free to students by the school.

Schools must communicate with parents and

guardians about this new scheme and identify

any additional classroom resources that are not

provided to students under the scheme and the

reason for this. The communication from the

school will inform parents if need to buy these

items or pay a fee to the school for supply of

the item.

Funding under this scheme will not include the

purchase of digital devices.

The schoolbooks will be on loan to the students

and must be returned at the end of the school

year or at the end of Junior Cycle (as decided by

the school) or if the student leaves the school.

It is important that schoolbooks are kept in good

condition so they can be reused. Please help

make sure that your children keep the

schoolbooks safe and in good condition so that

they can be used again by another child.

New Government scheme for 2024/25 school year

gov.ie/SchoolBookSchemesIn Budget 2024 the Government provided over €68 million to extend the

free schoolbooks scheme to eliminate the cost of schoolbooks for

students in Junior Cycle years in post-primary schools

in the Free Education Scheme.

Free schoolbooks for all post-primary Junior Cycle students

Information for parents/guardians

The Government has introduced a new scheme from the start of the new school year 2024/25. Under this

scheme all schoolbooks and core classroom resources for students in Junior Cycle years in post-primary

schools will be provided to students directly by their school. There is no charge to parents/guardians for this,

as schools will receive funding from Government to cover these costs. Guidance has issued to schools on the

scheme and is available at gov.ie/schoolbookschemes.

Schoolbooks will be provided free to every

student on loan at the start of the school year.

Core classroom resources will also be provided

free to students by the school.

Schools must communicate with parents and

guardians about this new scheme and identify

any additional classroom resources that are not

provided to students under the scheme and the

reason for this. The communication from the

school will inform parents if need to buy these

items or pay a fee to the school for supply of

the item.

Funding under this scheme will not include the

purchase of digital devices.

The schoolbooks will be on loan to the students

and must be returned at the end of the school

year or at the end of Junior Cycle (as decided by

the school) or if the student leaves the school.

It is important that schoolbooks are kept in good

condition so they can be reused. Please help

make sure that your children keep the

schoolbooks safe and in good condition so that

they can be used again by another child.

New Government scheme for 2024/25 school year

gov.ie/SchoolBookSchemes

From tomorrow the following changes to the Killarney Bus will come in to effect.

Bus 240 will leave Killarney Bus Station at 8.00 am and will then be running 10 minutes earlier to all the other stops between Killarney & Killorglin

The return bus will be at 4.36pm from Library Place in Killorglin

Congratulations to Mary Mc Kenna who came first in the National Community Games Art Competition Final, Girls Under 14, in Carlow at the weekend.