Vol. 490 No. 7
76 Mrs. Barnes asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of new multimedia computers installed by his Department in primary and secondary schools since his announcement of the information technology initiative. [11095/98]
The Department of Education and Science regularly funds the supply of computers to schools under various categories of provision. Since the publication of "Schools IT 2000" on 28 November 1997, the following computer provisions have been made: £3,720,337 was expended on computer and communications technology equipment for 341 second level schools participating in the leaving certificate applied and leaving certificate vocational programmes; £1,498,987 was expended on integrated computerised language laboratories for 19 second level school centres providing the new PLC programme in international teleservices; £566,478 was expended on the provision of computers to second level schools under the building unit budget; £194,764 was expended on computer equipment for pupils with special needs in primary schools. While disaggretated data is not currently available to quanitfy the number of computers supplied, the total expenditure under the aforementioned categories of computer provision to schools is in excess of £6 million; £94,664 was issued to second level schools in respect of the purchase of computer equipment for pupils with disabilities and £14,011 was expended on 11 computers provided to second level schools under the school administration project.
