Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 515: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that primary schools have received no new funding for information and communications technology equipment or hardware since 2002 with the exception of provision of broadband; the amount her Department has spent since 2002 on updating and replacing laptops, computers and printers; if she will provide a breakdown of the figures; how often ICT equipment is replaced in her Department; if new funding will become available for the purchase of new hardware for primary schools; the budgets and timeframe for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30833/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Since its commencement in 1998, there has been significant investment in the ICT in Schools Programme, in providing computers to schools, professional development ICT courses for teachers, improving the availability of digital content and in supporting schools to integrate ICT into their teaching and learning.

The recent priorities under the Programme have been the development of schools' internal networking facilities, which has involved an expenditure in excess of €23 million since 2002 across primary and post-primary schools, and the provision of broadband connectivity for schools, which my Department has pursued in partnership with the Telecommunications and Internet Federation within IBEC. Since 2006, the Grant Scheme for Minor Works to National School Properties includes ICT equipment within the range of approved school expenditure. Disadvantaged primary schools are also benefiting from the €3.4m ICT Grant scheme for DEIS Schools from the Dormant Accounts (Educational Disadvantage) Fund.

While the ICT facilities in our schools have improved considerably, I am conscious of the need for further investment to ensure that we are realising the full potential of ICT to improve the learning experience for our young people. Our Programme for Government sets out our commitment to implementing a comprehensive Schools ICT Strategy. This strategy will be underpinned by the investment of €252m in the National Development Plan 2007-2013.

Regarding the expenditure on IT equipment within my own Department, my IT unit has expended a total of €2.387m on PCs, laptops and printers between 2002 and 2007 inclusive. This figure rises to €2.833m, if expenditure on servers is included. The expenditure comprises €0.478m on laptops, €1.601m on PCs and €0.308m on printers. My Department adheres to the Department of Finance's guidelines on the replacement of IT equipment, with such equipment being replaced when it has a zero book value or earlier if it fails.