330. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to ensure the projects in Laois, Offaly, Westmeath and Longford run under the STEM inclusion funding from the EU can continue, after the funding from the EU has ceased. [48801/26]

I can advise the Deputy that the promotion of STEM and digital learning within our education system is a key priority for the Department and is reflected in multiple strategy documents, such as the STEM Education Policy Statement, Digital Strategy for Schools and the Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy.

While I commend the work being done by STEM Project Co-ordinators in the Midlands region, the positions were funded under the EU Just Transition Fund, which this department had no role in. You will appreciate that the department receives many requests in relation to support/funding for initiatives, projects, resources, books etc. and given the range of funding already provided, the department is not in a position to replace this funding source.

Under the www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/policy-information/stem-education-policy/ the department continues to provide support for STEM including STEM related curricular reform, ongoing provision of STEM professional development, guidelines for STEM partnerships between schools and business/industry, partnership with Research Ireland to support education and public engagement projects in STEM and ongoing support of informal STEM education projects such as Scifest, Stripe YSTE, Science Blast and iWish.

My Department has been in correspondence with the local authorities concerned and has outlined how there may be other possibilities for funding elsewhere.