Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There will be a summer works programme next year. From speaking to principals and school boards of management, I know they need a good run-in time. That announcement will need to happen sooner rather than later. There will also be a minor works programme, for which there will be a good enough lead-in time. I know there is no application process involved there.

The Deputy is correct in what he says about existing schools. In particular many secondary schools were built back in the late 1970s and 1980s and we need to consider retrofitting them. I have already raised that issue with my officials and I hope to progress it. Even though we have 42 new schools, many of them were chosen on the basis of demographics. We cannot allow existing school accommodation not to get infrastructure enhancement. The Deputy's suggestion of looking at the economics of a school building in terms of heating and retrofitting is important.

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