Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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451. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children who do not have adequate access to ICT services for remote learning due to Covid-19. [11524/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic my Department has issued extensive guidance material to assist schools with the continuity of learning. This guidance to schools was developed in consultation with all relevant stakeholders including teachers, parents and learners. The guidance included provision to support the continuity of teaching and learning in response to the Covid-19 restrictions for those learners unable to engage with online learning. This guidance is available at gov.ie.

As part of the €210 million investment programme underpinning the implementation of the Digital Strategy for Schools, my Department provided €100 million in grant funding to schools to address their ICT needs during 2020. Schools were advised that they can use this funding to support the continuity of teaching and learning should a period of partial or full school closure occur arising from Public Health advice owing to Covid-19 restrictions as is the current situation. This can include the purchase of ICT devices including laptops, etc, that can be shared with students and teachers who do not have access to devices, essential learning platforms and other ICT infrastructure to support the provision of remote learning.

In relation to the number of children who do not have adequate access to ICT services, my Department does not have access to this information. However, ICT Grant funding issues directly to schools, as schools are best placed to identify the needs of their learners and to meet those requirements. Many schools have used this funding to put in place a device loan scheme to support families.

Responsibility for ensuring that learners receive appropriate support to engage adequately with learning remains with the school in which they are enrolled. Regular and ongoing communication between school and home will be essential to support engagement with learning and continuous connection with classmates and school community. Additional supports will be provided for these learners from within the staffing resources of the school. Schools will have discretion to manage and redistribute their support resources in order to best meet the learning needs of their pupils and students.