Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 143: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the amount allocated towards information and communications technology in schools by her Department for 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34191/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The 2006 Estimates for my Department include a provision of €21.418m for the ICT in Schools Programme, €10m capital in subhead F05 and €11.418m current in subhead B18.

As the Deputy is aware, the major focus for my Department under the ICT in Schools Programme has been the roll-out of broadband connectivity to all recognised schools. This project is being undertaken in partnership with industry, in the context of the joint Government/IBEC — TIF (Telecommunications and Internet Federation) Fund, to provide local connectivity to schools. The broadband connectivity is being provided via a Schools National Broadband Network supported by HEAnet, in order to provide managed Internet access, email, security controls and content filtering. A broadband support service is being managed by the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE) to assist schools with advice and information relating to the roll-out and ongoing use of their broadband connectivity within the schools network. Over €2.5m of the capital allocation and €2m of the current allocation this year is related to the broadband project.

The remaining capital allocation focuses on grants to schools under the networking grants scheme and allied grants to schools, either directly by my Department or via the NCTE.

The remaining current allocation covers the costs of the NCTE and the regionally based ICT advisory service which provide a range of supports to schools towards the integration of ICT into teaching and learning. These supports include a comprehensive teacher professional development programme, the provision of on-line teaching resources via the Scoilnet Portal, the support and dissemination of innovative practice and the provision of technical advice. The current allocation also provides funding for the engagement of two ICT curricular experts in the NCCA, who focus on ICT curricular development, to ensure a specific priority is afforded to ICT in all curricular formulation.