Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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401. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if funding is available to a school (details supplied) in County Galway for the purchase of whiteboards at a cost of approximately €6,600; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7273/16]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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There is currently no specific programme funding that schools can draw down for ICT upgrades. Schools may however choose to spend Capitation funding on ICT equipment.

The new Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 (Enhancing Teaching, Learning & Assessment), launched in October 2015, sets out a clear vision for the role of ICT in teaching, learning and assessment in primary and post primary schools.

The Strategy is focused on realising the potential of digital technologies to transform the learning experiences of students by helping them become engaged thinkers, active learners, knowledge constructors and global citizens who participate fully in society and the economy. The Strategy recognizes that schools require public investment in their ICT equipment and infrastructure and accordingly a fund of €210m to support the implementation of this Strategy is available beginning with an investment of €30m in the next school year (2016/2017) rising to €50m a year towards the end of the Strategy. Oversight and consultative structures for the implementation of the strategy are currently being finalized and my Department will be in communication shortly with schools on its progress.