Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 June 2020
244. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the €10 million information technology equipment fund announced by his Department will be available to special schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8998/20]
View answerAs part of the implementation of the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 - Enhancing Teaching, Learning and Assessment, funding of €210m for ICT Infrastructure will be distributed by my Department to primary and second level schools including special schools, over the five years of the Strategy. €110m has issued over the last three years with a further €40m recently issuing to schools.
The additional €10m ICT funding has also issued to schools, and is part of the broader Digital Strategy investment. This funding is to assist schools to support students at risk of educational disadvantage due to school closures. Schools have been asked to use this funding to address situations where students are disadvantaged in their engagement with the schools remote teaching and learning due to lack of access to digital devices.
This ICT Grant funding issues to recognised primary, special and post-primary schools in respect of pupils and students following primary and post-primary programmes. The ICT grant does not issue in respect of PLC, further education, or higher education students. Full details regarding the funding are set out in Circulars 0031/2020 (€40m funding) and 0032/2020 (€10m funding) which are available on the Department’s website at
https://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Circulars-and-Forms/.
