Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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159. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the costs of providing 100mbps broadband to all primary and post-primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18535/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 Enhancing Teaching Learning and Assessment, published in October 2015, sets out the Department's vision for embedding ICT in teaching learning and assessment in primary and post-primary schools. Implementation of the programme of work under this Strategy is now underway, with a key priority being the broadband connectivity issues experienced by primary schools owing to infrastructural deficits and the dispersal of primary schools. My Department is collaborating with the Department of Communications Climate Action and Environment on this issue, having regard to the National Digital Strategy.  An interdepartmental working group will consider the options and make recommendations based on those deliberations to provide enhanced broadband services to primary schools.

Currently at least 95% of schools are connected to the Department's Broadband Access Programme. At primary level, the Department has upgraded more than 1,000 Primary school connections to fibre broadband in fibre broadband enabled areas. Under the current programme, the Department continually reviews the availability of services and upgrades schools where the opportunity arises, within the parameters of the programme and in compliance with procurement and contractual obligations. 

All post-primary schools are provided with 100Mbp/s connectivity. The 100Mb/s Post Primary project was a joint venture between the Department of Education and Skills (DES) and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR), now the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. DCCAE funded all of the capital costs of this project, as well as contributing to the recurring costs for the years 2013 to 2015.  My Department funded the remaining current costs and will also fund the on-going costs on an annual basis into the future. 

The total annual cost of the Schools Broadband Access Scheme for Primary and Post-Primary is some €14m. 

The Strategy recognises the issues schools face in relation to ICT infrastructure, and funding of €210m is committed to address these requirements over the period of the Strategy. The first tranche of funding of €30m in respect of the 2016-2017 school year has been issued to all eligible primary and post-primary schools. Details of the Grant Scheme for ICT Infrastructure, can be found on the Department's website at -Circuhttp://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Activelars/cl0001_2017.pdf.