Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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97. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the funding provided through the ICT grant to Cork schools in each of the years 2019 to date, by year, in tabular form. [30173/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Digital Strategy for Schools 2027, which builds on the progress made under the previous Digital Strategy (2015-2020), is underpinned by an investment of some €200m included in the National Development Plan 2021-2030 providing continuity of funding following the €210m that issued to schools to support the previous strategy. To date, €100m of that funding has issued to supports schools to implement the Digital Strategy. Overall from 2019 inclusive, schools in Cork have received over €28m in ICT Grant funding.

This funding issues directly to schools as schools are best placed to identify the requirements of their own student cohort and to meet those requirements in the most appropriate way. This can include the purchase of ICT devices such as tablets, hybrid devices, or laptops.

In addition, the Department as part of Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) under Next Generation EU funding facility, issued a once-off grant of €50 million in December 2021 to recognised primary and post-primary schools in the free education scheme in order to support those learners at risk of educational disadvantage through the digital divide.

This funding issued directly to schools as they were best placed to determine the needs of their own students and have autonomy to do so, within the criteria applying to this funding. This can include establishing schemes to loan devices to students, and this also applies to Digital Strategy Grant funding.

The specific timing for issue of the ICT grant is subject to the availability of Exchequer funding and the wider capital needs of the Department including the building programme to ensure the supply of school accommodation.

As part of the forthcoming Review of the National Development Plan, my Department’s aim is to provide better clarity and certainty for schools on the timelines for payment of minor works and ICT grant funding.

The information sought by the Deputy in relation to the breakdown of ICT grant funding to schools in County Cork from 2019 to current , is as follows,