Michael Creed
Ceist:70 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will investigate the need to route all schools Internet access through a single server computer. [12266/01]
Written Answers - Schools Internet Access.
In 1998, under the information age schools initiative, in association with Schools IT 2000, Eircom offered access to the Internet to all schools through its Internet service provider Eircom.net. While the vast majority of schools took up this offer my Department did not require schools to limit their Internet access to a single service provider.
My Department is currently investigating the connectivity of schools to the Internet in the future, including the possibility of providing this access through a single Internet service provider.
My Department is aware of the issues which student access to the Internet raises, not least the matter of safety. Under Schools IT2000, my Department, through the National Centre for Technology in Education, provides advice, information and guidelines on this and on the related matter of software filtering systems. The NCTE is currently leading two EU Internet safety projects which are focused on raising student and teacher awareness in this area and are working closely with the Internet Advisory Board which was set up to monitor illegal and harmful use of the Internet in Ireland.