Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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361. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the breakdown of the distribution of the €100 million in grant funding to schools to address their ICT needs during 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5071/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the €210m investment programme underpinning the implementation of the Digital Strategy for Schools,  my Department 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.

In 2020, €80m in funding issued to all recognised primary, special and post-primary schools, in respect of pupils and students following primary and post-primary programmes. All eligible schools received a lump sum payment and an  allocation based on a per capita rate determined by the number of qualifying schools and enrolment data. An increased per capita rate is paid in respect of special schools and special classes in mainstream schools, and to DEIS category schools. Post primary schools receive a higher rate that that applied to primary schools in line with the rate of capitation paid, in view of the wider curriculum to be supported. Newly opened schools, or schools who have been provided with a new school building, in the three (calendar) years prior to the grant year, are excluded. New schools and school buildings receive ICT funding as part of their furniture and equipment funding issued by the Planning and Building unit of the Department.

To address the requirements arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, a further €20m issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools, with no exclusions, as a lump sum based on the school enrolment.

ICT grant circulars have been published to accompany each year of the grant issue, outlining to schools how this funding should be used and gives examples of the kinds of ICT equipment such as the purchase of teaching computers, student shared computers, projectors, networking equipment, cloud based tools, learning platforms, software and education applications, other equipment designed to support the teaching and learning in the school.

Full details regarding the most recent funding including a detailed breakdown on how the funding to school per category are set out in Circular 0077/2020 which is available on the Department’s website at

www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0077_2020.pdf.

Should the Deputy require further information, the Section responsible for the issue of this funding can be contacted via email to ictpolicy@education.gov.ie.