Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 759: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her plans to make funds available to primary schools for the provision of computers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20504/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the National Development Plan 2007-2013 provides for investment of €252m in the ICT in Schools Programme and I will be publishing a comprehensive new strategy for ICT in Schools covering the period to 2013.

I appointed a Strategy Planning Group to advise me on the prioritisation of measures under the planned investment over the period of the NDP. Among the issues which the new strategy will address are the upgrading and renewal of hardware, the provision of software and digital content for learning, teacher professional development, curriculum development, the maintenance of the national broadband network for schools and technical maintenance and support requirements. I have asked the Strategy Planning Group to look at the critical success factors for those schools that are successfully integrating ICT into their teaching and learning and to take account of the full range of educational supports and funding available to further the integration of ICT into teaching and learning.

I expect to receive the Strategy Planning Group's recommendations shortly and it is my intention to build on the recent investment in the provision of networking grants to schools and the Schools Broadband Access Programme in developing the new ICT Strategy, based on the investments outlined in the NDP.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 760: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will ensure that urgently necessary computer information and communications technology equipment is immediately installed at a school (details supplied) in Dublin 13; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20508/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, I intend to publish a new ICT Schools Strategy which will aim to develop an e-Learning culture in schools that will ensure that ICT usage is embedded in teaching and learning across the curriculum. It will address teacher professional development, the maintenance of a national broadband network for schools, technical maintenance and support requirements and the upgrading and renewal of hardware along with the provision of software and digital content for learning. This new Strategy will be supported by the investment of €252m which is provided in the National Development Plan for the ICT in Schools Programme.

I appointed a Strategy Group to advise on the prioritisation of measures under this investment and I expect to receive the Group's recommendations shortly. The new Strategy will build on the recent investment made in providing grants to schools to enhance their internal networking facilities and in providing broadband connectivity to all schools.

Turning to the position of the school in question, my officials have advised that the school has confirmed its expenditure on upgrading its networking facilities and that its broadband connectivity is operational. The school has recently installed 16 new computers and ancillary equipment, funded from its own resources.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 761: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will review the effectiveness of the implementation of the schools broadband connectivity policy; the way her Department monitors the usage of Departmental grants for schools broadband and the installation of broadband in primary and post-primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20509/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Schools Broadband Access Programme is being undertaken in partnership with industry. The Agreement with IBEC/TIF (Telecommunications and Internet Federation) provides for a three year €18m joint Fund, with industry contributing €5 million per annum and the Government contributing €1 million per annum, and meets the costs of schools local connectivity. The broadband connectivity is being provided via a Schools National Broadband Network supported by HEAnet, which provides managed Internet access, security controls, content filtering and other services designed to enhance the educational process. A Broadband Support Service Desk has also been established to assist schools with advice and information relating to the roll-out and ongoing use of their broadband connectivity within the schools network.

Following a public tendering process, contracts were finalised in 2005 with six Service Providers for the provision of local access connectivity to schools and with a further Provider for the installation of a broadband router at school level where appropriate. Roll out of the local connectivity and router installation commenced in June 2005. The installation process has two stages starting with the local broadband connectivity installation (involving DSL, satellite or wireless technology) followed by the installation of a high-speed router and circuit and acceptance testing. A school then must confirm that it has an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) in place and it must indicate which content filtering option it requires prior to the activation of the school's connectivity via the Schools National Broadband Network. The costs associated with the Project are paid by my Department directly so there are no grants issuing to schools for broadband services.

HEAnet has established a Network Operations Centre to channel and control the broadband access to schools and it provides centrally managed services for schools such as security, anti-spam/ anti-virus and content filtering. The national helpdesk and HEAnet work with the individual schools and service providers involved to address service issues on an on-going basis. Having regard to the usage levels observed by HEAnet, my Department has recently procured additional bandwidth from its two satellite providers which should result in improved broadband connection speeds for schools on this portion of the Schools Broadband Network. My Department will also be tendering for a programme evaluator to independently evaluate the deployment of broadband access to schools and the impact of such deployment within schools over the period of the Schools Broadband Access Programme.