Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 897: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if Youthreach centres will be included in the broadband for schools initiative. [15247/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is engaged in the roll-out of broadband Internet connectivity to recognised primary and post-primary schools. This project is being undertaken in partnership with industry pursuant to an agreement with IBEC-TIF-Telecommunications and Internet Federation. This agreement provides for the establishment of a three-year €18 million joint Government and IBEC-TIF fund, with industry contributing €5 million per annum and the Government contributing €1 million per annum. The agreement is to provide local broadband connectivity to schools. This connectivity is being provided via a schools national broadband network supported by HEAnet to provide managed Internet access, e-mail, security controls and content filtering. A broadband support service is being managed by the National Centre for Technology in Education to assist schools with advice and information relating to the roll-out and ongoing use of their broadband connectivity. The overall costs of the schools broadband access programme, including the initial set-up and ongoing costs over the three years, are in the region of €30 million.

The scope of this project, as provided for in the agreement with industry, is to provide broadband connectivity to recognised primary and post-primary schools. The question of providing broadband connectivity to Youthreach centres and other centres of education will be considered separately.