John Cregan (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 97: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she will confirm the criteria to be applied to the recent announcement of grant aid to schools for IT equipment, that is, does the IT equipment have to be new or can it be reconditioned and if each school purchases its own equipment. [43707/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware over €92m has been provided to primary and post primary schools in ICT grants in the past 12 months as part of this Government's commitment to ICT in education. Schools are requested to prioritise the purchase of computers for use by teachers and digital projectors. Once schools have the recommended baseline in place they may purchase a wide range of ICT equipment such as visualisers and interactive whiteboards.

Schools are required to carry out purchases in line with public procurement rules. In this regard existing ICT Purchasing Frameworks must be engaged with and taken advantage of, for the purchase of PCs, notebooks, laser printers, and digital projectors. These Frameworks simplify the process of purchasing ICT equipment for schools. If, having reviewed the market and considered comparative technical specifications, warranties and associated supports schools have satisfied themselves that better value for money may be achieved from non-Framework vendors in a given case, then schools may seek concurrent quotes from both Framework and non-Framework vendors ensuring that identical specification options, and warranties are presented to all vendors at the time of request for written quotations.

In relation to reconditioned equipment, schools should be aware that refurbished computers must be of a certain minimum specification and carry a suitable technical support warranty to ensure that they function effectively in schools over a significant period of time. Reliability and confidence in a computer's functionality are essential given the time constraints in the classroom. The National Centre for Technology in Education which advises my Department on ICT Policy for schools is of the view that the minimum PC specification should incorporate a relatively fast processor, a minimum of 2GB of memory, 40GB disk drive and, most importantly, a 3 year on-site warranty on both parts and labour to ensure that any computer component failures are addressed. Feedback from schools to the National Centre for Technology in Education indicates that lower grade refurbished PCs can cause an undue technical support burden on schools and a higher than expected total cost of ownership. Where the refurbished PC meets the recommended specification, and where the schools makes an informed choice my Department supports the use of quality refurbished computers in schools.