Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested in the region of €4.5 billion to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities around the country for the almost 1 million students and, importantly, the 100,000 staff who learn and work in our schools. The minor works grant is one important element of a record level of capital investment in school infrastructure.

The Department recognises the importance of the minor works grant to primary schools. This funding provides good flexibility at local level to assist schools to manage and undertake works that support the operation of the school. Under Project Ireland 2040, a commitment has been given that the minor works grant will be paid in either December or January of the school year to all primary schools, including special schools.

In recent years the Department's approach has been to pay the minor works grant to primary schools in advance of the start of the following school year in order to facilitate a better lead-in period for schools to plan any maintenance or minor works during the summer period. The minor works grant for the current school year 2023-24 was paid in April 2023. I recently announced that a minor works grant of €29 million for the 2024-25 school year would issue to all primary schools, including schools in Carlow, in the coming weeks.

Between 2018 and 2023 in the region of €310 million in minor works grants and enhanced minor works grants was allocated to schools. This includes the additional support in the context of Covid-19 of the payment of an enhanced minor works grant totalling €45 million for primary schools and special schools, plus a once-off Covid-19 minor works funding of €17 million for post-primary schools. The enhanced minor works grant allowed schools that identified inadequate ventilation in a room to utilise their minor works grant or apply for emergency works grant assistance to address issues.

Under the minor works grant scheme, funding is made available to all primary schools on the basis of a €5,500 basic grant plus €18.50 per mainstream pupil and €74 per special needs pupil enrolled in the school on 30 September of the year prior to the issue of the grant.

All schools have the autonomy to use this funding for maintenance and small-scale improvements to school buildings and grounds. Given that each school setting is different, the individual schools are best placed to decide how best to use this funding to address their needs.

See this speech in context