Written answers

Tuesday, 18 December 2012

Department of Education and Skills

Schools Building Projects

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has ensured that all schools being constructed under public private partnership proposals will have inbuilt wifi and CCTV as part of their development. [56655/12]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I wish to advise the Deputy that all schools being constructed under my Department's Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme are provided with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Infrastructure in compliance with my Department's prevailing ICT guidelines. While it is not currently my Department's policy to supply wi-fi network to schools, they are however provided with broadband connectivity. In fact, my Department is in the process of rolling out a high-speed 100Mbit/s broadband connection to all post primary schools nationwide.

In relation to the provision of CCTV to schools, the general security of school communities is one of the issues considered in the architectural design of new school buildings and major extensions including schools being developed under PPP programmes. In this regard, PPP schools are provided with targeted external CCTV for security purposes. In general it is open to schools to fund and manage the installation of CCTV having regard to the Data Protection Acts which requires, inter alia, that its use is proportionate and for specific purposes.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.