Children's Books Ireland CLG (Children's Books Ireland)

Lobbying Organisation Children's Books Ireland CLG

Date published 18 Sep, 2024

Relevant Matter Matters involving public funds

Public Policy Area Education and Training

Period 1 May, 2024 to 31 Aug, 2024

Specific Details We were asking for investment in school libraries and policies to support reading for joy for children and young people, locally, nationally, and in school communities

Intended results 1. Invest €60m in Budget 2025 in books for children and young people to read for joy in schools and school libraries building on the foundations laid in Budget 2022. 2. Establish a National Advisory Group on School Library Provision to develop a National Strategy for School Libraries, with the key aim of ensuring there is a School Library and a School Librarian in all Primary and Post Primary Schools by end of 2024, as recommended by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in its Reports on Leaving Certificate Reform and on Mental Health Supports in Schools. 3. In the interim, expand both the Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP) Demonstration Library Project and JCSP Digital Library Service as an urgent national priority, as recommended in the same reports and as per the 2005 DEIS plan. 4. Ensure that reading for joy is at the heart of the upcoming National Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy, in order to increase motivation and engagement in children and young people of all ages.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Becky Long

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (2-5)

4th June 2024 Email to Eamon Murphy, Policy Director with the Social Democrats, advocating for the party to include support for dedicated reading for joy time in school timetables, primary and secondary.

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Gary Gannon TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)