Rónán Mullen (Independent)

I thank Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú for his kind words, which are deeply appreciated. At a symposium on education in Crescent Comprehensive College, Limerick last weekend, which I addressed, a person raised the issue of the provision of electronic white boards in schools. This led to a brief and interesting discussion of the merits of such white boards. Many people were of the view that the jury is out on the question of whether they contribute to better educational attainment. That said, it is clear that we are coming from very far behind in the provision of information and communications technology in our schools. In this Chamber in the last year, I called for a trebling of our education spend.

I welcome the Minister's announcement regarding providing laptops and digital cameras in classrooms. I also hear the good sense from Senators Joe O'Toole, John Paul Phelan and others about the necessity of having broadband if any of this is to make sense.

People have given various illustrations of this difficulty. I am reminded of the lore about a politician from my own neck of the woods who, famously, in the 1970s met complaints from people that they were still waiting for telephones by the award of a little device from the boot of his car. Of course, it took a long time after that for the telephone to be connected.