Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 10 Oct 1996

Vol. 469 No. 7

Written Answers. - Information Technology in Schools.

Dan Wallace

Ceist:

60 Mr. D. Wallace asked the Minister for Education the total amount of financial support provided to second level schools during 1995 for the purchase of information technology; if she will give a breakdown of this figure into software and hardware components for each of the main school types; the number of schools which benefited from such support; and the total amount of finance allocated for second level information technology support in 1996. [18112/96]

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach):

Financial assistance to schools in acquiring information technology hardware and software is provided to schools through a variety of funding arrangements from my Department.

Under the school administration project a total of £609,507 was expended in 1995. The breakdown between hardware and software and between school sectors together with the number of schools is set out in the following table. It is intended to provide a further £500,000 for information technology equipment for schools under this project in 1996.

Grants for equipment, mainly information technology, for schools offering the restructured leaving certificate vocational programme amounted to £1,683,565 in 1995 comprising £1,280,848 for secondary schools, £122,717 for community and comprehensive schools and £280,000 for vocational schools. A total of 114 schools received payments during 1995. A breakdown between hardware and software and schools sector is not readily available. The total provision for equipment in 1996 is £4,571,000. In the case of the schools offering the leaving certificate applied an annual resource grant in respect of equipment and materials is provided, which is calculated on the basis of £125 per leaving certificate applied pupil. A review of the financial support for schools providing the leaving certificate applied is currently taking place and will be completed shortly.

A total of £603,000 was spent in 1995 on the supply of computer equipment to 15 community and one voluntary secondary school (£10,000) in association with the provision of new schools or the provision of major extensions which required the equipping of computer-technology rooms. In the case of building projects in the vocational sector the amount spent on computer equipment is a matter for the relevant vocational education committee subject to the upper limit for the purchase of furniture and equipment which is set by the Department of Education. A detailed breakdown between hardware and software is not readily available. To date in 1996, a total of £279,000 has been allocated by the post-primary building unit in respect of information technology support.

A grant scheme for the purchase of equipment for pupils with a disability was introduced in 1995. There was a total expenditure of £38,230 in 1995 comprising £14,808 for the voluntary secondary sector (5 schools), £9,739 for the vocational sector (94 schools) and £13,683 for the community and comprehensive sector (3 schools). There is a provision of £450,000 for 1996.

Computer software and hardware may also be purchased by schools or vocational education committees from within their annual running cost allocations from the Department. This is subject to the discretion of the relevant school authorities as appropriate having regard to their own needs and budgetary constraints.

Schools Administration Project 1995

	Secondary	Vocational	C & C	Total
Hardware:
Amount	£345,518	£188,221	£31,526	£565,265
Number of schools	160	85	17	262
Software:
Amount	£27,405	£14,824	£2,013	£44,242
Number of schools	94	54	2	150