Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am taking this debate on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Richard Bruton, who is unavailable. I thank Deputy Brendan Smith for raising the matter, as it provides me with the opportunity to outline the current position relating to the application made by Bunscoil Lughaidh Naofa, Carrickmacross, for funding under the summer works scheme 2016-2017. I understand the Minister, Deputy Bruton, previously clarified the position relating to this application to the Deputy through written correspondence in June and August, and more recently in the House yesterday, 5 October, through Parliamentary Question No. 123. However, I will restate the position for the purpose of the debate.

As the Deputy will be aware, a total of €80 million was allocated for the summer works scheme announced last November. The scheme will apply on a multi-annual basis in 2016 and 2017 and will be funded from the Department's multi-annual capital budget. This funding package is part of the Government's continued commitment to fund improvement and upgrading works in existing school buildings throughout the country. The scheme is designed to address necessary and immediate works and the onus is on school authorities to identify the most urgently required works to be funded from the summer works scheme.

Bunscoil Lughaidh Naofa applied for window replacement under the summer works scheme 2016-2017. Window replacement is classified as a category 7 project under the scheme. On 28 April 2016, the Department announced a €30 million investment for more than 197 primary and post-primary schools under the first round of the multi-annual summer works scheme 2016-2017 to undertake vital gas works and electrical upgrades. These works are classified as category 1 and category 2 projects, respectively, under the summer works scheme. Valid summer works applications from schools in respect of categories 3 to 10 that were not reached under round one approvals announced last April will, subject to the overall availability of funding, qualify to be assessed under future rounds of the scheme. The application made by Bunscoil Lughaidh Naofa is available to be considered in this context. If this arises, the terms and conditions of the scheme, as outlined in Circular 55/2015, which may be accessed on the Department’s website, will continue to apply when allocating funding to such projects.

In the meantime, the school may use its minor works grant, which all primary schools received last November, to carry out remedial works in full or on a phased basis as that grant permits if the school considers them to be a priority.

See this speech in context