Written answers

Wednesday, 5 July 2017

Department of Education and Skills

Departmental Funding

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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118. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if support can be provided for a service (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31742/17]

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the service provided by the company referred to by the Deputy. This company operates on a commercial basis and consequently, it would not be appropriate to allocate public funding to this service in the absence of a public procurement process. 

My Department through the PDST-TIE provides support and guidance to schools on internet safety. The PDST-TIE works closely with the Office of Internet Safety in that regard.  Responsibility for internet usage by children outside of school hours, and access to social networks, resides with parents.

Webwise (a team within PDST/PDST Technology in Education) is the Irish Internet Safety Awareness Centre co-funded by the Department of Education and Skills and Europe (the European Union’s Connecting Europe Facility).

Webwise promotes the autonomous, effective, and safer use of the internet by young people through a sustained information and awareness strategy targeting , , and children themselves (through a Webwise Youth Advisory panel and collaboration with the Irish Second Level Students Union (ISSU)) with consistent and relevant messages.

The Webwise team develop and disseminate resources that help teachers integrate internet safety into teaching and learning in their schools. The team works closely with the Health and Wellbeing team in PDST to ensure internet safety messages are considered in the mediation of strands of the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum/syllabus. Information, advice, and tools are also provided to parents to support their engagement in their children’s online lives.

The Department of Education & Skills has published a Digital Strategy for Schools which links with the work of other Departments and agencies and outlines a vision for the use of technologies in teaching and learning.  There are specific actions in relation to the safe and ethical use of technology. 

From a Government perspective, responsibility for cyber safety rests with the Department of Justice & Equality. The Departments of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and Children also have roles.

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