The vast majority of schools in County Galway will not be able to apply for the school book rental scheme as they are ineligible for it due to their own fundraising efforts.
This is the view of Fianna Fail Tuam local election area candidate Nora Fahy who said 76 per cent of schools throughout the State will be excluded from the initiative.
Schools which have any form of rental scheme in place will be not be allowed apply for the money available under the new scheme. Ms Fahy also went on to accuse the Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn of making “no attempt to find out details of rental schemes within individual schools”.
As a result Ms Fahy is calling on the Minister to allow more schools become eligible.
“Many schools throughout Galway East have fundraised and struggled hard to establish a school book rental scheme, in the absence of State funding, for school books,” she said. “This is a real slap in the face for schools, parents, teachers and staff. They are effectively being punished.”
She said many schools used their own initiative and fundraised to set up a school book rental scheme.
“Such schools tried to improve the situation for hard-pressed parents who are struggling to make ends meet,” Ms Fahy said, “but their goodwill has been trampled upon by the Department of Education.”
