John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I congratulate Deputy Deering on his election. I am replying on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn.

I thank the Deputy for raising the matter as it provides me with an opportunity to outline to the House the level of investment by the Department over the past number of years in the scheme and to outline the position on the application from the Presentation De La Salle school in Bagenalstown, County Carlow for funding under the 2011 summer works scheme.

The summer works scheme was introduced in 2004. The purpose of the scheme is to devolve funding to individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works which, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. Under the terms of the scheme, school authorities are empowered to manage these works with guidance from, and minimal interaction with, the Department.

Ten categories of works are eligible for funding under the scheme. These include gas, electrical, mechanical, projects to facilitate inclusion and access for special needs pupils, toilet facilities, roof works, window projects, curricular requirement projects, structural improvements and external environment projects. Since its introduction in 2004, over €550 million has been grant aided to schools under the summer works scheme. This has allowed the completion of over 4,000 projects in primary and post-primary schools.

Within the overall capital spend, the Minister is anxious to stress the importance of ensuring value for money and that allocations are made on the basis of overall needs, particularly having regard to the demographic demands that are in place. In this regard, a greater proportion of the schools capital budget will be spent on major capital works. In the context of meeting the demand for major capital projects, it was not possible to advance with a very large summer works programme this year. Due to the scale of demand in respect of the available funding, it was not possible to grant aid all applications. It has been necessary, therefore, to prioritise some categories of works, including gas, mechanical and electrical works, over others for funding.

In the case of the application from the Presentation De La Salle, it was unfortunately not possible to include the school for funding in the list of 453 successful schools that were announced on 30 March 2011. It will be open to the school authority to apply for funding for such works under future summer works schemes. In the meantime, for works that are of a very urgent nature, it is open to the school authority to consider if the works in question or part thereof qualify for funding under the Department's emergency works scheme. An emergency is deemed to be a situation which poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or the environment which is sudden, unforeseen and requires immediate action and, in the case of a school, if not corrected would prevent the school or part thereof from opening. Details of the scheme, together with an application form for grant assistance, can be accessed on the Department's website.

Since 2004, under the summer works scheme, the school has received in excess of €737,760 to carry out various improvements including fencing, external structural improvements, electrical upgrade and roof repairs. I again thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to outline the current position regarding the application for funding under the summer works scheme for the Presentation De La Salle school in Carlow.

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