Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 453: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will fund the upgrading of broadband facilities at a school (details supplied) in County Clare where the broadband speed is slow and where an alternative is available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41278/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I wish to inform the Deputy that, in general, I am not in favour of schools availing of an internet service outside of the Schools Broadband Programme as under the Schools Programme, connectivity to the internet is routed through a National Broadband Network, which has been developed by HEAnet (the National Education and Research Network provider). 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. A national helpdesk has been established to interface between the network, the Internet Service Provider (ISP) and the schools, and to provide schools with on-going advice and assistance. This helpdesk is managed by the NCTE. Schools that use a service provider not contracted to the Department do not have access to these services, protections and support. There would also be the issue of the Department paying two service providers for a service to the same school.

I understand that when Phase I of the Schools Broadband Programme commenced in 2005 the range of technologies available in certain areas was very restricted and in many cases a satellite option was the only one available. However, my Department is currently awarding contracts under the second phase of the Programme and the indications from the recently completed evaluation of tenders are that this will mean enhanced bandwidth for schools. I wish to inform the Deputy that the school in question is due to get a wireless solution under this second phase with a different ISP, which will bring faster download speeds, and this will be rolled out to the school as part of the overall roll-out plan of that ISP, in agreement with my Department. My Department is managing the transition period between the phasing out of the current service providers and the connections to new providers to get schools switched over as soon as possible.