Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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526. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 203 of 5 October 2022, if her Department's broadband technical team has been able to resolve the problems preventing a school (details supplied) from accessing high-speed broadband; the steps that are being taken to remove these obstacles as soon as possible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54368/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware the school referred is in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) Intervention Area, implementation of which is underway. My Department is working closely with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) on this implementation to prioritise school connectivity, with all schools in the NBP Implementation Area to be provided with high speed broadband infrastructure by 2023. My officials have confirmed that the school referred to was recently connected to the National Broadband Ireland network infrastructure, and has now been awarded to a provider under the Department's School Broadband Programme. The provider in question has pre-installation works now completed and will be in contact directly with the school shortly to arrange installation.

My department operates the Schools Broadband Programme at an annual cost of some €13m, providing broadband connectivity to schools through a range of technologies at the best available connectivity based on local infrastructure.