Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

To Deputy Crowe, I say well done. He raised quite a number of schools in his locality and I appreciate that. I recognise that the demands in schools can be as individual as they can be universal. The Deputy specifically named individual schools and I assure him my officials will engage. I will revert to the Deputy in due course with an update on those schools.

Equally, I appreciate the point that Deputy Murnane O'Connor raised in terms of emergency works. They are by their name emergency works. Occasionally, schools might not qualify because they are not deemed to be an emergency. Be that as it may, if the Deputy wants to bring the specific cases she raised to my attention, my officials will engage with her. On a point of information, and it has been raised by previous speakers, we have applied through the July stimulus for a minor works programme which, I believe, has the potential to be hugely significant going forward for schools. These will be works that will enable schools to carry out measures that will improve school buildings as we journey through Covid, but in the main will improve them in general as well. We are looking for that enhanced minor works grant. Current grant costs are approximately €30 million and we anticipate that we should be able to raise that to €50 million. That would be positive news for schools. We hope that will come next week.

I reiterate that parents will not be footing the bill for the reopening of schools. There is absolute clarification on that.

There are 890 DEIS schools serving 180,000 pupils. I appreciate that this is being reviewed since 2017. On the applications for new schools to come on board, I will revert to Deputy Murnane O'Connor on the specific ones she has mentioned.

Specific guidelines have been issued in relation to school transport. We are currently working through those guidelines with Bus Éireann. We are confident that the school bus service will be available as normal for students to take up. The Deputy specifically raised face coverings and masks, etc. Children under 13 will not be required to wear them. It is advisable for those over 13, but the intricacies of it are currently being worked through. It is my intention that all of the information will be available and everything will be in the public domain as regards the return to school by the end of this month.

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