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Student Support Schemes

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 January 2021

Wednesday, 27 January 2021

Questions (601)

Gary Gannon

Question:

601. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he is taking to support applicants to the HPAT who do not have access to dependable Wi-Fi or the necessary digital tools required to take part in the assessment which has moved online due to Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4217/21]

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Written answers

The HPAT is independently administered by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) on behalf of the universities’ medical schools and the RCSI. The selection criteria and process for admission to medical schools is a matter for those institutions in line with their statutory autonomy in relation to academic affairs. Neither I nor my Department have a role in the administration or running of the HPAT.

It has been a significant priority for me, in the context of the shift to online teaching and learning that has arisen from the public health restrictions, to provide support to students to facilitate connectivity and to examine options designed to seek to minimise the extent to which connectivity challenges act as a barrier to full participation in higher and further education.

The delivery through the National Broadband Plan of high-speed internet connectively nationwide will ultimately provide a solution to current differences in broadband experience for students and learners. It should be noted that my Department does not have a role in the provision of residential broadband infrastructure. Provision for such services fall to the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and this is being addressed through the implementation of the National Broadband Plan Intervention Area. In the interim there are initiatives across a number of Government Departments to facilitate connection through community-based broadband hubs and liaison with telecommunication providers on packages, including unlimited data.

As part of the €210m investment programme underpinning the implementation of the Digital Strategy for Schools, the Department of Education provided €100m in grant funding to schools to address their ICT needs during 2020. Schools were advised that they can use this funding to support the continuity of teaching and learning should a period of partial or full school closure occur arising from Public Health advice owing to Covid-19 restrictions as is the current situation. Schools can use this funding, inter alia, to acquire software applications or platforms to enable remote learning and communications, and to provide for devices to be loaned to teachers and learners in particular where needed to enable engagement with remote learning. Funding for ICT is issued directly to schools given that schools are best placed to determine the ICT needs of their school community. In addition my Department directly funds the provision of broadband connectivity for schools at a cost of some €13m per annum. School buildings will remain open to allow staff access where this is essential to facilitate remote learning.

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