Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 168: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the number and cost of each website that falls under her remit; the number of unique visitors per month to each website; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48202/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The annual cost of maintaining my Department's website in 2010 was €25,684.50. This figure incorporates the cost of an annual maintenance contract, a search engine licence and the Department's contribution to the Local Government Computer Services Board (LGCSB) for hosting the website. There were on average 55,031 unique visitors to this website per month last year.

To expedite claims and streamline the application process for the Energy Efficiency Scheme announced in May 2009 (this scheme is now closed) a new website www.energyeducation.ie was developed in partnership with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. The cost involved in setting up and maintaining this website in 2008 was €35,315.26. In 2010 the annual cost of maintaining the site was €12,095.16. There were on average 1,012 unique visitors to this website per month last year. As the Deputy will be aware the European Social Funds Unit transferred from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation (D/ETI) to my Department in May 2010. In 2010 €1084.25 was spent on an associated website www.esf.ie. There were on average 893 unique visitors to this website per month last year.

In addition the Early Years Education Policy Unit of my Department pays annual recurring fees totalling approximately €315 in order to retain two websites on-line. The www.cecde.ie website relates to the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education which ceased operations in 2008, while the www.siolta.ie website relates to Síolta - The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education in Ireland. Monthly Figures for the number of unique visitors to these two sites is not readily available.