Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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75. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills regarding circular 0032/2017, if she has issued any further advice to boards of management in respect of mitigating costs associated with iPads and or Android tablets for students. [9931/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I am keenly aware of the challenges faced by educators and parents in relation to costs of digital technology, including tablets, and my Department continues to work to help support schools and families meet these costs. As referred, in 2017, a circular letter issued to schools with measures to be adopted to reduce the cost of school uniforms and other costs including such ICT devices.

That circular also instructed schools to consult with parents and their school community on the issue of ensuring costs are reasonable for parents, and how to avoid costs acting as a barrier. This circular specified that wherever possible, generic rather than branded items should be specified (e.g. uniform, clothing, IT tablets, sports equipment etc.).

The OGP and HEAnet, as well as my Department, have established framework of providers of digital devices including tablets, pcs and laptops, with appropriate specifications, agreed pricing, and levels of service, as well as providing framework management. Schools are encouraged to avail of these frameworks which will enable them to comply with procurement requirements and achieve agreed, transparent, pricing.

Back-to-school costs can be a burden for many families. Removing the cost of schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks in primary schools from the start of the 2023/24 school year has been shown to be a huge step in addressing the cost of sending children to school. €47 million is allocated in 2024 to continue implementation of the schoolbooks scheme at primary level. Further funding of over €67 million is allocated to provide free schoolbooks and classroom resources for Junior Cycle students in recognised post-primary schools in the free scheme for the 2024/25 school year. This will benefit approximately 212,000 Junior Cycle students and add to the 563,000 pupils in primary and special schools who benefited from this initiative in the current school year.

The Digital Strategy for Schools 2027, which builds on the progress made under the previous Digital Strategy, will be 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. Two tranches of ICT Grant funding under the Digital Strategy to 2027 has issued to schools from the NDP commitment. The funding issues directly to schools as schools are best placed to identify the requirements of their own student cohort and to meet those requirements iin accordance with their digital learning planning. This can include the purchase of ICT devices such as tablets, hybrid devices, or laptops.

Decisions regarding the use and deployment of digital technology in schools is a matter for the Board of Management of each school in the context of their digital learning planning. Schools are advised to consult with members of the school community including parents when planning for the introduction of digital technologies including devices with cost and other implications been fully considered by the Boards of Managements before a decision is made.

Schools, in conjunction with parents, are responsible for decisions on the use of digital technology, including tablet devices, laptops, and learning platforms, and how best to manage their integration into classroom practice reflective of their own context and requirements.

Oide- Technology in Education (formally the PDST-TIE) offers advice and supports to schools on digital learning. Advice sheets are available on digital technology in education, including on the adoption of laptops and tablets in schools.

It is the responsibility of each individual school to select the resources, if any, that it will use to support its implementation of the curriculum. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and my Department do not endorse or recommend particular materials. This includes text books, e-Books, devices etc.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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76. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has assisted any boards of management exit supply contracts for electronic hardware, laptops and or iPads and or Android tablets in the context of vendor lock-in, in the past five years to date in 2025. [9932/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Decisions regarding the use and deployment of digital technology in schools are a matter for the Board of Management of each school. Schools are advised to consult with members of the school community including parents when planning for the introduction of digital technologies including devices with cost and other implications being fully considered by the Boards of Managements before a decision is made.

Schools, in conjunction with parents, are responsible for decisions on the use of digital technology, including tablet devices, laptops, and learning platforms, and how best to manage their integration into classroom practice reflective of their own context and requirements.

The Professional Development Service for Teachers Technology in Education (PDST-TIE) offers advice and supports to schools on digital learning. Advice sheets are available on digital technology in education, including on the adoption of laptops and tablets in schools.

The Digital Strategy for Schools 2027, which builds on the progress made under the previous Digital Strategy, will be 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. The first tranche of the successor Digital Strategy ICT grant funding issued to schools in December 2021. This funding issued 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,

My Department has not been asked to, nor has it assisted any Board of Management to exit supply contracts for electronic hardware over the requested timeframe. My Department has established Single Provider Frameworks for the purchase of laptops and desktop PCs, based on OGP Frameworks, to enable schools to easily access such infrastructure with transparent costing. Schools can also access procurement mechanisms for Apple devices established by HEAnet Ireland's National Education and Research Network. Where schools have utilised such procurement mechanisms, support on contract issues is provided by the relevant Framework managers, either the OGP or HEAnet.

In addition, the Schools Procurement Unit (SPU) established by my Department is the central support resource for providing guidance to all primary and post-primary schools (except ETB schools) on any procurement-related issue. The SPU delivers free advice and practical support to schools to help them achieve improvements in their procurement processes, practices and outcomes.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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77. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide a schedule of suppliers of iPads and or Android tablets to schools, to include the top five suppliers and the totality of the value of iPads supplied, by vendor, in each year since 2017 to date in 2025. [9933/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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In relation to the provision of a schedule of suppliers of iPads or tablets to schools, my Department does not track or collect specific data on devices in use by schools. The OGP and HEAnet provide framework mechanisms which school can use to procure appropriate equipment, including for digital devices. Where schools have availed of those frameworks, the OGP and HEAnet as framework managers may be in a position to provide the information requested.

Advice and support for schools regarding deployment of digital technologies, digital learning planning and related issues, is provided by the Department support service, Oide Technology in Education.

Schools, in conjunction with parents, are responsible for decisions on the use of digital technology, including tablet devices, laptops, and learning platforms, and how best to manage their integration into classroom practice reflective of their own context and requirements. As such, the Department does not gather the data referred to.

Decisions regarding the use and deployment of digital technology in schools is a matter for the Board of Management of each school in the context of their digital learning planning. Schools are advised to consult with members of the school community including parents when planning for the introduction of digital technologies including devices with cost and other implications been fully considered by the Boards of Managements before a decision is made. Under the Education Act, the boards of managements of schools are responsible for the management of the school. The Digital Strategy for Schools 2027, which builds on the progress made under the previous Digital Strategy, 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 has issued from the NDP commitment in ICT Grant funding to schools under the Digital Strategy to 2027. The 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 accordance with their digital learning plan. This can include the purchase of ICT devices such as tablets, hybrid devices, or laptops.