John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 454: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the cost of providing broadband services and technology laboratories to all primary and secondary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12132/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department together with the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources is engaged in a joint initiative with the IBEC-Telecommunications and Internet Federation to provide broadband connectivity to all recognised primary and post-primary schools. The IBEC-Telecommunications and Internet Federation has committed funding of approximately €15 million for a three-year period to support the initiative. Broadband connectivity will be provided via a backbone schools network supported by HEAnet, which will provide security, content filtering and e-mail services to schools. A broadband support service, including a national service desk, will be provided by the National Centre for Technology in Education to assist schools with advice and information relating to the roll-out and ongoing use of broadband connectivity within the schools network. Following the announcement of the outcome of the competitive tendering process earlier this year, my Department is finalising contract negotiations with a view to completing the roll-out process by the end of the year. The overall cost of providing broadband connectivity and broadband services over the three-year period will be in the region of €29 million.

My Department does not fund the provision of technology laboratories in primary schools. At post-primary level, the inclusion of technology rooms is, where appropriate, generally considered for inclusion in the accommodation brief for new schools or large-scale refurbishment projects or extensions to existing schools. Cost information is held in my Department on a project basis rather than on the individual components of projects such as technology rooms.