Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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228. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the programme of works and funding per year to be expended on the Digital Strategy for primary schools and for secondary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38655/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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As the Deputy is aware, I launched the Digital Strategy for Schools on 7 October last. A fund of €210m to support the implementation of this strategy has been announced, beginning with an investment of €30m in the next school year (2016/2017), rising to €50m a year towards the end of the strategy.

The Digital Strategy for Schools sets out an ambitious Five Year Plan to embed ICT in teaching, learning and assessment. The Strategy is developed around four key themes namely: Teaching, Learning and Assessment using ICT, Teacher Professional Learning, Leadership, Research and Policy and ICT Infrastructure.

My Department has developed a series of objectives (36 in total) and associated actions under each of the above themes to progress ICT integration over the lifetime of the Strategy. Some of the immediate actions to be undertaken are as follows:

- We will provide training and other supports to teachers to develop their ICT skills so they can exploit digital learning for their students across all areas of the curriculum.

- provide advice and guidance for teachers and schools including examples of good practice on the use of ICT for teaching, learning and assessment.

- provide a suite of high-quality digital content to use in schools.

- NCCA to give advice to me on how to develop what is available to Leaving cert students. This advice will include examining how digital skills can be developed and how an in-depth course in ICT could be part of the Senior Cycle, as well as how to embed digital skills within other subjects.

The Digital Strategy for Schools and the full action plans is available on my Department's website at .