15th Dec 2025: €65 Million in ICT Funding and Minor Works Grant for schools
Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde T.D., today (15 Dec 2025) announced a €65 million investment in schools to support digital learning and fund minor building works.
€30 million in minor works grant funding will be provided to primary and special schools this week to enable them to use on a devolved basis for maintenance and small-scale improvement works.
€35 million in funding for ICT infrastructure will issue in January 2026 to all recognised special, primary and post-primary schools
ICT Funding (€35 million)
The €35 million in ICT Grant funding represents the fourth tranche of ICT funding under the Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 and builds on the €210 million already allocated under the previous Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 Enhancing Teaching Learning and Assessment and the €135 million 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 €25.17 per mainstream pupil, €30.20 per pupil with special educational needs attending a special school or attending a special class attached to a mainstream school, and €27.69 per pupil in DEIS schools.
For example, a 100 pupil-primary school will receive €4,517 and a 500 pupil-school will receive €14,585.
In the case of a post-primary school this will consist of a €2,000 basic grant plus €30.20 per mainstream student and €33.22 per student in DEIS schools.
A 500 student-school would receive €17,110 and a 1,000 student-school would receive €32,220.
Minor Works funding (€30 million)
Under the scheme, funding is 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.
Schools have the autonomy to use this funding for maintenance and small-scale improvements to school buildings and grounds. Given that each school setting is different, individual schools are best placed to decide how best to use this funding to address their particular needs, including the purchase of IT related equipment.
The Press Release is available here:
These grants will issue automatically to schools.
Digital Learning Planning
Information on Digital Learning Planning for schools can be found at www.dlplanning.ie which has been developed to support schools to embed digital technologies into teaching, learning and assessment.
Digital Technology Infrastructure Guidance and information
Guidance on Digital Technology Infrastructure (DTI) can be accessed here:
If schools have specific queries in relation to DTI these can be emailed to ictadvice@oide.ie
