Publishers on defensive over rip-off claims on textbooks [Independent.ie]
- Published: 27 August 2009
SCHOOL-book publishers reacted angrily last night to claims they were ripping off parents with price rises of up to 7pc since last year.
But while some educational publishers have frozen or reduced prices, others have put them up. Increases fly in the face of a general fall in the cost of living, and a 2.7pc drop in book prices generally.
Fine Gael education spokesman Brian Hayes accused publishers of "money-making rackets" and said parents were being "ripped off".
However, leading publishers said he had got some of his figures wrong -- and one asked him to issue an amended press release. Mr Hayes rejected the call, saying: "I stand by my figures."
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