Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

Each school is responsible for the development, management and maintenance of its IT systems and there is no requirement to notify difficulties to my Department. The Department recognises the need for the provision of technical support to schools but funding is not available due to the overall resource constraints being faced at this time.

To help schools upgrade their ICT Infrastructure, my Department has provided €92 million in devolved grants since November 2009 under the ICT in schools programme. This funding was to be used for the installation of a digital projector and teaching computer in every classroom, after which schools could use remaining funds to buy other appropriate ICT hardware and software.

The Department funds a national support helpdesk for the schools broadband service, incorporating content filtering and anti-virus protection. In addition, it has deployed national procurement frameworks for schools, covering digital projectors, computers and printers, and providing a three-year next-business-day on-site warranty as standard.

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