Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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Question 551: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her proposals to ensure that the pupils attending a national school (details supplied) in County Kerry have access to broadband in their school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35544/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, the Department of Education and Science is rolling out broadband Internet connectivity to all recognised primary and post-primary schools. Following a public tendering process last year, contracts were awarded to six companies for the provision of access connectivity to almost 4,000 schools. Another provider, Eircom, has been engaged to install a broadband router at school level, where appropriate. Some 2,205 schools had their access connectivity service installed and 1,396 schools had their router installed, separately or as part of the basic connectivity service, by the end of last week. I would like to speak about the school referred to by the Deputy. The award made as part of the public procurement process was for a broadband connection via satellite technology with Digiweb Limited and for a router to be installed by Eircom. While the Department has agreed an overall delivery and installation schedule of broadband connectivity with each of the contracted companies, it is a matter for the contracted access provider to agree and schedule the installation with each individual school. In this context, it is envisaged that the overall installation process will be completed by March 2006.