Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 186: To ask the Minister for Education and Science his views on a school (details supplied) in County Sligo whose broadband provision is just one half MB; if this is an insufficient broadband speed for a school; his further views on recent EU figures showing Ireland ranked 19th out of the EU 27 for broadband for schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20471/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware my Department is providing broadband connectivity to primary and post-primary schools under the Schools Broadband Access Programme, which is being supported by industry in the context of a Government — IBEC/TIF (Telecommunications and Internet Federation) Agreement. A competitive, technology neutral, central procurement process for the provision of local connectivity for schools was undertaken based on a tiered bandwidth provision, ranging from 0.5 Mbps in the case of small primary schools with less than 100 pupils up to 2 Mbps for larger post-primary schools.

The school in question, which is a small primary school, was installed with a 0.5Mbps satellite broadband connection in December 2005. In general, satellite connections were recommended only for those schools where no alternative access technology was available at the time. Having regard to observed usage levels, my Department has procured additional bandwidth from its two satellite providers to improve the broadband connection speeds for schools on this portion of the Schools Broadband Network and the situation continues to be monitored closely.

I have received representations from this school in relation to broadband and I am aware that, while being a small primary school, it is actively using its broadband connection. A new Request for Tenders for the next phase of the Schools Broadband Programme will be issued shortly and will be based on a minimum requirement that each individual school receives a service that is at least equivalent, in terms of speed and reliability, to that currently provided. Having regard to the general developments in broadband availability nationally, I expect that improved service offerings will be received under the new tender process.

The Deputy also refers to recent EU figures on broadband for schools. I assume that the Deputy is referring to the European Commission's Study on Benchmarking Access and Use of ICT in European Schools, which was published following two surveys carried out in Spring 2006. The study found that 66% of Irish schools had broadband internet connections as compared with 67% of European schools generally, which ranked Ireland at number 20 of the 27 countries surveyed. The surveys underpinning this Report were undertaken during the roll-out of the Schools Broadband Access Programme and I understand that at the time of survey in March/April 2006, the percentage of schools connected under the Programme would have been in the mid 80s. Having regard to the current almost universal availability of broadband connectivity in our schools as a consequence of the Schools Broadband Access Programme, I am confident that our relative performance internationally has improved significantly.