A £6.5 million funding package to buy books for school libraries was announced yesterday by the Minister for Education, Mr Martin.
Under the terms of the library grant, primary schools, irrespective of size, will be allocated £1,000, with schools in disadvantaged areas receiving £3,170. Second-level schools will be allocated £2,500 and those in disadvantaged areas will receive £5,320. The library-book grant forms part of a National Reading Initiative which will be introduced by the Department of Education in conjunction with the Department of the Environment in January.
The Minister said that inadequate literacy skills put children at a great disadvantage, both socially and economically. Watching television and playing computer games were having a negative effect on children's reading ability, he said.
The Minister also announced the planned appointment in January of a national co-ordinator for the development and implementation of literacy policies.