Broadband Rolled Out Across Post-Primary Schools

The roll-out of high-speed (100Mbps) broadband to all post-primary schools in Ireland has been completed after the final 269 schools were connected in 2014.

The move follows a pilot project in 78 schools across the country that showed high-speed broadband connection improved teaching and learning. All 202 post-primary schools in 14 western and midlands counties were connected in 2012. The following year, 236 schools in Dublin, Meath and Kildare were connected.

The project is part of a collaboration between the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR) and the Department of Education and Skills (DES).

Speaking at Mount Temple Comprehensive School, Dublin 5, Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan said: "ICT has a key role to play in transforming teaching and learning, and the installation of high speed broadband in our second-level schools facilitates this. The new Digital Strategy for Schools, which I will publish in the near future, will set out how we will work to fully realise the potential of ICT within schools, and will set out a comprehensive list of targets to be delivered."

Communications Minister Alex White said: "The availability of high-speed broadband in schools gives students and teachers access to the full range of educational tools that the internet offers. We’ve now met our commitment to deliver high-speed broadband to every second level school in Ireland. The next step is to consider how best we can address high-speed broadband provision in our primary schools.

"The National Broadband Plan will ensure that every home, school and business in Ireland has access to high-speed broadband. The Government will intervene to provide the infrastructure in areas where the market will not, and there will be a particular emphasis on connecting schools in the intervention area."

(IT/CD)