Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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588. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide a timeline in respect of an upgrade regarding broadband services at a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will expedite the required works to enhance the schools access to a reliable high speed service with increased capacity in view of the fact that the school has invested in class sets of laptops, online literacy programmes and interactive whiteboards that cannot be fully utilised. [16759/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The policy of my Department is to offer the best quality connectivity to all schools in line with the technical solutions available in the market and within financial constraints. Currently investment of some €13m is allocated annually for the provision of internet connectivity to schools. Broadband capacity can vary across geographical locations and is dependent on local infrastructure which can impact on the service that can be provided in individual schools.

Under the current primary schools programme my Department continually reviews the availability of services and upgrades schools where the opportunity arises, in line with contractual and budgetary requirements and leveraging off existing infrastructure. The focus of my Department is to continue to upgrade all schools to high speed broadband as and when the service becomes available

The school referred to by the Deputy is currently on the best available service broadband connection, which is a dedicated service to the school.

The school is advised to engage with the Broadband Service Desk, tel: 1800 334466. to ensure that the school is receiving the maximum level of service available on the connection The Broadband Service Desk is the central point of contact providing schools with information, advice and technical support in relation to the Schools Broadband Programme.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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589. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to upgrade and-or reform the high-speed broadband programme for schools; if she and-or her officials have engaged with National Broadband Ireland In respect of same; and if she will provide a schedule of all schools in County Kildare that will have broadband service upgraded in 2021 and 2022. [16760/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The policy of my Department is to offer the best quality connectivity to all schools in line with the technical solutions available in the market and within financial constraints, through the Schools Broadband Programme. Currently investment of some €13m is allocated annually for the provision of internet connectivity to schools. As you will be aware, broadband capacity can vary across geographical locations and is dependent on local infrastructure which can impact on the service that can be provided in individual schools.

The primary broadband scheme operates off existing infrastructure on the whole and the providers on the Primary Broadband Framework access this infrastructure to deliver the service to the schools. The Department does not put in place such infrastructure. All post-primary schools are provided with high speed connectivity through the Department's High Speed Programme for Post-Primary Schools.

My Department is working closely with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications on the implementation of the National Broadband Plan Intervention area, which will see almost 700 primary schools provided with high speed connectivity by the end of 2022. This includes the School Connection Points under the Broadband Connection Points programme implementation currently underway.

In operating the Schools Broadband Programme, my Department adheres to procurement regulations, and must engage with the selected retail serviced providers on the DE Framework of Providers of Broadband Services through a tender process to award services. As and when improvements in infrastructure providing high speed connectivity is put in place, either through industry provision or the NBP implementation, the retail service providers on the Primary Schools Broadband Framework will be in a position to utilise this in providing connectivity through my Department's Broadband Programme.

As the Deputy will be aware, industry provision can be commercially sensitive, and is subject to change, which may also impact on the premises included in the National Broadband Plan Implementation Area. On that basis, it is not possible to provide a list of schools in Kildare scheduled for upgrade in 2021 and 2022 as requested.