School Equipment

545. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth her Department’s position on secondary schools requiring parents to purchase iPads or specific digital devices; the steps she will take to ensure that families are not subject to undue financial pressure; and whether she will review digital learning policies in secondary schools and provide financial support for families. [37730/26…

549. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if it is permitted for a post-primary school to require parents to purchase a specific laptop model from a single designated supplier as a condition of a student’s participation in classroom learning; and if so, the statutory, circular or policy basis for same. [37796/26]

550. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the mandatory arrangements schools are required to have in place to ensure that students whose families cannot afford a compulsory laptop purchase are not excluded from full participation in teaching, learning and assessment; and if she will outline the minimum standard expected. [37797/26]

551. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the assessment her Department has made of the impact of compulsory laptop purchase schemes on educational equality and disadvantage, including the risk of students being singled out or excluded due to inability to pay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37798/26]

552. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware that applications for exceptional needs payments are being refused by the Department of Social Protection in cases where families cannot afford compulsory school laptop costs, on the basis that schools should have funding available; and if she will clarify whether her Department accepts responsibility for ensuring t…

555. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will issue a national direction to all post-primary schools prohibiting compulsory laptop purchase schemes which require parents to buy devices privately as a condition of curriculum access; and if not, the reasons for same. [37802/26]

556. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of complaints, representations or queries received by her department in each of the past five years relating to compulsory laptop or digital device purchase schemes in post-primary schools; and the actions taken by the Department in response. [37803/26]

557. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will confirm whether requiring parents to purchase a laptop in order for a child to fully participate in classroom learning is consistent with the principle of free post-primary education; and if she will outline the steps she will take to ensure no child is excluded from education due to inability to pay. [37804/26]

562. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if it is appropriate, and in line with Department policy, for a home school liaison officer or any member of staff in a DEIS post-primary school to advise parents to take out a loan from a credit union in order to meet the cost of a compulsory laptop purchase for a student; and if she will outline the guidance, instruction or overs…

569. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of an issue (details supplied) impeding teachers using digital resources in the classroom; if her Department has plans to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37941/26]

82. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of primary- and post-primary schools that require students to have a digital device for learning instead of traditional textbooks; the number of these that are DEIS schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35455/26]

589. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will take immediate action to install fibre connection at a school (details supplied) to restore internet access following an extended period of disconnection; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34526/26]

610. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Youth if there has been any progress in ring fencing a portion of the ICT funding allocated to post primary schools specifically for the provision of suitable computers for design and communication graphics; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34937/26]

611. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has engaged with post primary schools, teachers or relevant stakeholders regarding the need to ring fence ICT funding for DCG specific computer equipment; and if so, the outcome of those engagements. [34938/26]

612. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Youth if consideration is being given to introducing a dedicated or ring fenced allocation within the post primary ICT grant to ensure schools can meet the technical requirements of design and communication graphics; and if she will outline any plans or timelines in this regard. [34939/26]

613. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Youth her assessment of the impact on the delivery of design and communication graphics in post primary schools where ICT funding is insufficient to provide appropriate computer equipment; and the measures being taken to address this issue. [34940/26]

572. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Education and Youth the grants available to parents for the purchase of laptops for students given the increasing adoption of modern technologies in teaching methods; whether funding is being made available to schools for the purchase of laptops; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30286/26]

254. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department is aware that some secondary schools are requesting that parents purchase laptops or digital devices for senior cycle students at significant cost; the supports available for families who cannot afford these expenses; how this aligns with the objectives of the free schoolbooks scheme; and if she will ma…

470. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if schools who require a student to have a digital device can prohibit students who cannot afford a digital device from accessing their school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21448/26]

602. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of delays in the provision of approved assistive technology for primary school pupils in County Kerry including a school (details supplied); whether applications approved by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) are awaiting approval letters from her Department before schools can purchase equipment; the reas…

603. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she is aware that assistive technology applications submitted in March 2025 for pupils attending a school (details supplied) including pupils with dyslexia and dysgraphia, were approved by the NCSE but remain outstanding due to delays at Departmental level; the steps being taken to address this backlog; and if she will make a s…

528. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of second-level schools introducing individual electronic devices for students because of a new senior cycle curriculum, and the significant financial pressure this places on families; if she will consider implementing a more centralised approach to both the procurement and the provision of digital devices and n…

594. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures she is taking to address the use of AI tracking software in schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9846/26]

455. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth the details of the expenditure on ICT in schools since 27 June 2020, on a local authority basis, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5446/26]

563. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of the issues at school (details supplied); if she will ensure her officials facilitate the retention of the pitch in any location planning; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4222/26]