Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 July 2025
341. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Youth the amount of funding given to each county as part of the digital strategy ICT grant in each of the years 2014 to 2024, and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40509/25]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, I recently announced €35 million in funding to support digital learning in schools. €35 million in grant funding for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has now issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools. This ICT funding is being provided to schools to enable the continued embedding of digital technologies in their teaching, learning and assessment This is the third tranche of ICT funding under the Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027.
The Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 and it's associated implementation plan is underpinned by funding of €200m over the course of the strategy, committed to under Ireland’s National Development Plan (NDP). The funding allocation model is provided for in the National Development Plan, with funding to issue over the period of the NDP, applied by the Department for the Digital Strategy duration (to 2027 for the current strategy).
Including the €35m issued this year, a total of €135 million of the €200 million committed for in the NDP for the strategy has issued to schools through the ICT grant. While the NDP commitment did not guarantee a specific amount in each year it is anticipated that providing €35m this year, will enable the balance of €65 million to issue to schools over the remaining years of the current strategy to 2027.
This funding underpins the ongoing commitment to supporting and enabling schools to ensure the continued embedding of digital technologies in teaching learning and assessment, and builds on the €210m in grants that issued under the previous Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020.
The information requested by the deputy is attached.
