Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach as ucht an deis seo a thabhairt dom an t-ábhar tábhachtach seo a ardú ar an Athló inniu.

I thank the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, for taking the Adjournment debate. I listened with interest to the debate. He has taken a very progressive approach to the issue of bullying.

I was contacted about the broadband service in Scoil na Trionóide, Lismullen, a national school in the Hill of Tara area outside Navan, County Meath. It is impossible for the staff to download an e-mail. While the school is well equipped and has whiteboard technology, it is not possible to do anything online because of the lack of broadband.

I know the Department of Education and Skills has a scheme in place to provide broadband to schools. It also has a more advanced scheme for second level schools. The broadband programme is certainly failing in Lismullen national school. After the people of Lismullen contacted me, the parents from Scoil Na Ultain Naofa, Baile Ghib, a Gaeltacht school between Navan and Kells, who experience the same problem with the inadequate broadband service contacted me independently. They too cannot open e-mails. Will the Minister outline the Department's position on this issue?

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I thank Senator Byrne for raising this important matter in relation to broadband. I am very aware of the importance of broadband for integrating ICT into teaching and learning. The ICT in schools programme addresses new policy challenges and opportunities, and Members will know all about access to broadband.

What we are doing for the 730 post-primary schools will be completed by the end of this year. Each of these schools will be connected up to the 100 Mb highway, which will enable them to access broadband.

If the schools in Lismullen and elsewhere are experiencing problems with broadband, the businesses located beside them must be experiencing it as well.

Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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The schools are located in isolated areas. The businesses are suffering but there are just a few of them.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Yesterday I attended the launch of the schools digital programme. What I am hoping to do is see what we can do to start to link up the 3,200 primary schools to the service. Obviously isolated schools have a difficulty. I will raise the matter with my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, to see what we can do about rural areas. We must move towards connecting primary schools that are in isolated areas, otherwise their very survival will be difficult to sustain.

I have a note that might be of interest to Senator Byrne. Through the public procurement process, the Department has gone as far as possible to reduce the reliance on slower services or in this case non-existence services, and has seen the number of schools operating on a satellite connection fall from approximately 1,800 to 200 at present. Under the procurement process in 2012, the only broadband solution proposed for Scoil na Trionóide was satellite. Satellite connections and some other slower connections were only awarded where no other solution was proposed by the suppliers in the framework and contracts for these connections were only awarded for one year. I am referring to 2012. These schools, including Scoil na Trionóide, were retendered for a mini competition in August this year to see if better solutions were available. Officials in the Department are in the process of evaluating and awarding contracts from this mini competition. Contracts are being awarded to suppliers for 109 schools, which at present have satellite connections. This will see these schools move from satellite to faster broadband connections. I am pleased to say that Scoil na Trionóide is one of these schools. In relation to the remaining schools which were tendered under the mini competition awards, these awards will be made in the coming weeks, taking budgetary constraints into account.

The Senator might keep in touch with me in this regard.

Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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I am pleased with the Minister's positive statement. The school was slightly aware of what was going on but those involved felt everything was proceeding slowly. I take comfort from the Minister's comments that broadband will be provided in Lismullen school shortly and I am encouraged by what he said. There are other two schools I would like to check, one of which is Scoil Ultain Naofa in Baile Ghib. One of the parents attended a meeting there last night and relayed information to me. I will check with departmental officials as to whether the other school is on the list. There may be good news for that school as well.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I would be happy to deal with that.