Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, but what he told me does not answer the question about the 2022-23 school year and the fact that some schools have committed funding that they expected to get from this grant. The financial support services unit, FSSU, produced a grant schedule for the 2022-23 academic year and the ICT grant was listed as part of this. Schools expected this money to perhaps come through in December 2022, as it had in December 2021. The next thing that happened was that it was moved on the schedule and then it disappeared off the schedule completely. Schools have been left scratching their heads as to what has happened here.

Part of the digital strategy states that schools will need ongoing funding on a multi-annual basis and certainty as to the frequency of payments and the amounts involved to provide for infrastructure replacement and upgrade, investment in emerging technologies as appropriate and maintenance support. The digital strategy states that this funding should be multi-annual and that schools need certainty in this regard, including on the frequency and amount of the payment. This has not been given to them.

As I said, even in the response to my parliamentary question, it was stated that it was just hoped that the next tranche will be paid this year. That statement is not strong enough for the schools. They have been left wondering and scratching their heads as to how they are going to come up with the funding to cover the investment they have already made in ICT. As I said, some of them have engaged in contracts to lease the equipment, keep themselves updated with new emerging technologies and get upgrades and support. The fact that it is anticipated the funding committed to under the NDP will be available, or that it is hoped it will be, is not strong enough. Schools need reassurance that this money will be paid to them annually to cover the costs of technology. They are already down one year in this regard.

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