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

287. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to provide broadband and an internet connection to a rural school (details supplied) in County Clare;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18978/13]

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

Under the Schools Broadband Access Programme the Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity for all recognised primary schools. All contracts under the Schools Broadband Access Programme were recently re-tendered under a public procurement competition. As a result, the number of service providers has been expanded from 6 to 13 thereby increasing the range of service options nationally. The best available service option is offered to each school. These contracts were signed last summer and the migration of schools onto the new services is currently underway.

The Department is aware of the difficulty that some schools, such as St Flannan's National School School have with their broadband service. Through the public procurement process the Department has sought as far as possible to reduce the reliance on satellite services and in this regard the number of schools reliant on a satellite connection has fallen from approximately 1,800 in 2005 to approximately 160 at present. Satellite connections and DLS connections of up to 1megabyte have only been awarded where no other solution was proposed and contracts for these connections have only been awarded for one year. These schools will be re-tendered this summer and in the interim the Department will liaise with service providers to try and ensure that where possible improved connections will be made available.