Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 136: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the funding streams available to DEIS band 1 and 2 schools for ICT initiatives; if any discretionary funds are available for these initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26169/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Under my Department's most recent ICT Infrastructure Grant Scheme, all DEIS schools received an additional block grant of €850 on top of the standard grant allocations for primary and post primary schools. This Scheme (which was non-discretionary) was fully allocated between November 2009 and December 2010.

It is not currently possible, in our challenging fiscal context, to provide for a new round of ICT Infrastructure Grants for schools.

Additional financial supports are allocated under DEIS and issued to all participating schools. These resources are provided on the basis of the school size and the school's level of disadvantage. The purpose of these additional resources is to facilitate schools to support the pupils who are most at risk of educational disadvantage. These resources should be focused on the provision of in-school and out-of-school supports for the specific pupils whose enrolment qualified the school for the additional supports.

It is a matter for an individual school to decide how best to apply the funding, to suit a school's particular needs, in accordance with guidelines on the appropriate use of DEIS funding that have issued to all primary and post-primary DEIS schools.