Helen McEntee

Republic of Ireland Minister for Education and Youth, Helen McEntee, has announced a €65m investment in schools to support digital learning and fund minor building works.

€35m in funding for ICT infrastructure will be awarded shortly to all recognised special, primary, and post-primary schools, while €30m in minor works funding will be provided to primary and special schools to use for maintenance and small-scale improvements.

McEntee said: “I am delighted to announce that €65m will be invested in our schools, both to help them with maintenance and improvements, as well as helping schools to embed ICT into their teaching, learning, and assessments.

“With the world around us changing rapidly, it is vital that schools can instil students with the skills they need to reach their full potential in our modern society.

“This ICT funding will empower schools to harness the opportunities that technology presents, and to support children and young people to become competent, critically-engaged learners.

“Furthermore, minor works payments are vital in supporting our primary and special schools so I am pleased to announce €30m in funding that will allow these school communities to address issues at local level and support their operation for the upcoming school year.

“Each school is different, so individual schools are best placed to decide how best to use this funding to address their own maintenance needs.

“This lead-in period ahead of the new school year will give schools time to consider their plans and priorities as to how to best use this funding for their own needs.

“Maintaining school buildings is vitally important in promoting health and safety, in providing a welcoming learning environment, and in protecting the significant levels of public funding being invested in new and upgraded school infrastructure.

“Both the minor eorks and ICT funding will support schools both to keep their buildings safe and welcoming places for students, but also in ensuring that students are learning the skills they need in our schools to thrive in today’s world.”

Maintaining school buildings is vitally important in promoting health and safety, in providing a welcoming learning environment, and in protecting the significant levels of public funding being invested in new and upgraded school infrastructure

The €35m in ICT grant funding represents the third tranche of ICT funding under the Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 and builds on the €210m already allocated under the previous Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 Enhancing Teaching Learning and Assessment and the €100m that has issued to date under the current strategy.

In the case of a primary school the Digital Strategy ICT grant will consist of a €2,000 basic grant plus €25.33 per mainstream pupil, €30.40 per pupil with special educational needs attending a special school or attending a special class attached to a mainstream school, and €27.86 per pupil in DEIS schools.

For example, a 100 pupil-primary school will receive €4,533 and a 500 pupil-school will receive €14,665.

In the case of a post-primary school this will consist of a €2,000 basic grant plus €30.40 per mainstream student and €33.44 per student in DEIS schools.

A 500 student-school would receive €17,200 and a 1,000 student-school would receive €32,400.

The money will help schools to implement the requirement to have a digital learning platform in place.

It will also provide an additional top-up for DEIS schools to meet additional challenges to support their learners.

The minor works funding is being made available to all primary and special schools on the following basis: €5,500 basic grant plus €18.50 per mainstream pupil and €74 per student with special educational needs enrolled in the school on 30 September of the year prior to the issue of the grant. The €74 rate applies to a special needs pupil attending a special school or attending a special education class attached to a mainstream school.

The works that can be undertaken include maintenance and small-scale improvements to school buildings and grounds, improvement or replacement of mechanical and electrical services, the purchase of standard furniture and educational equipment, the purchase of floor coverings and window blinds, the purchase of IT related equipment, ventilation improvements, and enhancements to outdoor learning environments.

Between 2020-2024 in excess of €274mi in Minor Works Grants and Enhanced Minor Works Grants has been allocated to schools.