Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)

On the Deputy's first question, I mentioned briefly that we have Oide Technology in Education. This is a Department-funded support service that specifically promotes, but importantly supports, the embedding of digital technology, so it is looking at teaching and learning across post-primary and primary schools. It provides a range of free online courses that are available to school teachers and school leaders on certain things such as security for schools and AI for schools. It supports awareness of and confidence in emerging technologies, leading digital learning and developing a digital learning plan for schools. It gives teachers support in what they use the funding for and how they present that. There are courses on strengthening leadership and planning; and coding and computational thinking using Scratch, promoting creativity and problem-solving at a primary level. That is now very much embedded in the primary school curriculum. Schools are doing this, as I have seen during visits to schools over the past couple of months. There is a course in digital technology for modern foreign language teachers as well with that particular emphasis at primary school level, enhancing learning through technology. There are supports, advice and guidance there.

In terms of the Deputy's second question on how funding can or should be provided, it is really important to get an assessment and understanding of what schools have at the moment based on the funding provided to date and on whether we need to be more targeted or to do it in a different way as we look to the next strategy.

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