Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

556. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she is taking to ensure a national school (details supplied) has access to broadband. [15047/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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.

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.

In relation to the school referred to by the Deputy the school opted to not take up the offer of a connection through the Schools Broadband Programme previously and currently has a private connection. If the school is interested in re-joining the schools broadband programme, the school should record their request with the Schools Broadband Service Desk and the school will be included in the next available tender for broadband services to schools, at which point the level of connectivity that can be provided can be determined. The Schools Broadband Service Desk is the Department's dedicated service for schools in programme, which is managed by the Professional Development Service for Teachers - Technology in Education (PDST-TiE). They can be contacted by phoning 1800334466 or by emailing broadbandservicedesk@pdst.ie.

The school referred to is included in the National Broadband Plan Intervention Area, and my Department is working closely with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications on the implementation of the National Broadband Plan Intervention area, including the School Connection Points under the Broadband Connection Points programme, all of which will see some 679 primary schools provided with high speed connectivity by 2023. Implementation of this programme is currently underway.