Primary schools will receive €96 per pupil under the Government's free schoolbooks scheme, which is due to be in place by this coming September.
Minister for Education Norma Foley gave further details of the €50m scheme, which was announced as part of Budget 2023, to Cabinet this week.
The initiative will cover all schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks, so parents should no longer have to pay for any of these items.
Schools will also receive an administrative grant to support the roll-out and implementation of the programme.
The €96 cost per pupil was arrived at following an analysis of data from more than 100 DEIS primary schools that were involved in a pilot free books scheme.
The Department of Education also engaged with school management bodies and trade unions, a parents' body, school book publishers, and charities such as the St Vincent de Paul and Barnardos.
Every primary school and special school in the country is included in the scheme, which will benefit more than 558,000 children and their families.
Primary teachers union the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) said it had sought administrative support for schools to ensure a smooth roll-out of the scheme nationally.
It said it awaited formal publication of guidance for the scheme.
The union said it was important that the department did not forget about general school funding and it called for clarity on the next minor works grant that is urgently needed by schools.
