The Government is to provide five free books to parents of babies aged between eight and nine months as part of a new initiative to get children used to reading.
The "Babies Love Books" scheme is organised by the Government's National Reading Initiative and the first books were presented to seven mothers yesterday in Ballyfermot Library by the Minister for Education, Dr Woods, and the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr Maurice Ahern.
Parents will be given the books when their baby is given a developmental check-up between eight and nine months at their local health centre. The brightly coloured hardback books, one of them in Irish, have been specially chosen for their suitability for babies.