Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Mar chomhleacaí ó Ghaillimh, ba mhaith liom gach ádh a ghuí air in a ról agus a phost nua. Go n-éirí an t-ádh leis sa jab sin.

D'ardaigh mé an cheist seo ar son coiste tuismitheoirí scoil náisiúnta Thír an Fhia. Rinne an scoil seo iarratas ar thacaíocht le haghaidh athrú a dhéanamh ar fhuinneoga agus doirse sa scoil, mar tá an scoil i ndroch chaoi. Cé go bhfuair an scoil seo tacaíocht anuraidh le haghaidh córas teasa a chur ar fáil sa scoil, tá an teas sin anois ag dul amach trí fuinneoga agus doirse atá i ndroch chaoi le blianta. I raise this issue on behalf of the Tír an Fhia parents' group because the school there is in quite bad condition. The school is grateful that it got support several years ago to put in a heating system, but the problem now is that the heat goes straight out through the doors and windows because they are in such a bad condition.

Tá fadhb freisin maidir le cursaí sláinte agus sábháilteachta. Tá caonach liath ag fás ar na ballaí agus ar an síleáil agus bíonn orthu iad seo a ghlanadh agus a péinteáil go minic. Gach cúpla mí bíonn orthu seo a dhéanamh, agus níl an fhadhb dhá leigheas. There is a health safety issue also. Several children have asthma and there is mould growing on the ceiling. The only solution parents have is to paint it every few months, which is costing a significant amount of money. It is the dampness and the situation with regard to the windows and doors that creates such a dilemma.

The issue is the process with regard to the application they made. They submitted their application on a number of occasions, but have been turned down. They have appealed that decision. They have not been given a proper reason for having been turned down and see other schools in the area getting the assistance they need.

Tá mé ag cur ceist faoin gcóras atá ag an Roinn maidir leis an gceist seo. Cén fáth ar diúltaíodh iarratas na scoile seo? Cén fáth nár éirigh leis an athchomhairc? Cén fáth an bhfuil scoileanna eile sa cheantar ag fáil tacaíocht nuair nach bhfuil an scoil seo á fháil? Cloisim an chaint atá á dhéanamh maidir le cúrsaí airgid. Tugtar an leithscéal nach féidir go leor rudaí a dhéanamh ós rud é go bhfuil an buiséad teoranta ó thaobh scoileanna. Ní ghlacaim leis an argóint sin, i ndáiríre, go háirithe toisc go bhfuil €24 billiún curtha isteach sna bainc. Chualamar i rith na seachtaine go bhfuil €500,000 in aghaidh na míosa á thabhairt don chomhlacht atá ag plé leis na tolls ar na motorways. Tá an t-airgead sin á thabhairt mar chúiteamh ar an gconradh. Chaitheamar €30 milliún ar chúrsaí slándála nuair a tháinig an banríon agus Barack Obama ar cuairt. An bhfuil an Roinn ag rá linn go bhfuil an Banríon Éilís níos tábhachtaí ná na páistí scoile i dTír an Fhia? Má tá, ní ghlacfaimid le sin. Ní ghlacfadh muintir Chonamara nó tuismitheoirí scoile in áit ar bith leis an argóint sin.

The lack of funding cannot be an argument in this case. The Government had enough time and wherewithal to give the banks €24 billion; it was willing to give €500,000 per month to the company that runs the tolls on our motorways and spend €30 million on security for the visit of the Queen of England and President Barack Obama yet it tells me it does not have a few thousand euro to help fix windows and doors in a school that, according to the Department, is doing fantastic and exemplary work. If it tries to tell me that the Queen of England and President Obama are more important than these children I will not accept that argument and believe its priorities are wrong.

I welcome the Minister of State. Will he clarify the situation and tell the House what criteria were used in this application? Will the school be reassessed, reappraised and put back on the list, and is there a chance this funding can be made available in the very near future?

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I take this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn. I thank Senator Ó Clochartaigh for raising the matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the Seanad the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and the current position in regard to summer works projects.

The summer works scheme covers projects in school buildings such as gas, electrical and mechanical works, roof replacements and repairs, window replacement, toilet upgrades, access works and structural improvements that, ideally, can be delivered during the summer months. The Senator will be aware that on 30 March 2011 the Minister announced a list of 453 schools that were successful under the summer works scheme 2011. Applications from primary and post-primary schools for gas, mechanical and electrical works were prioritised for summer works funding this year. The Department has sought to prioritise the funds that are available towards works that are most relevant to the health and safety of staff and students alike in our schools.

In light of further funding being made available under the Government's jobs initiative, projects submitted under the 2011 summer works scheme were considered further. As announced on 10 May 2011, an additional 374 schools were successful under the jobs initiative scheme and these are published on the Department's website. Some €40 million will be made available through the jobs initiative to fund these 374 primary and post-primary school building projects. These funds will allow schools to carry out small and medium scale building works such as special needs access, toilet facilities, roof works at primary and post primary level and window replacements at post primary level. In its programme for Government, this Government committed to advancing with shovel-ready projects as quickly as possible - this investment in our schools will create much-needed jobs in the construction sector.

The capacity of schools to take responsibility for delivering small and medium-scale projects is a key component of the summer works scheme and the Minister is pleased to be in a position to make funding available this year. I am confident that school authorities will be able to achieve best value for money on prices for jobs, given the competitive construction market at present and I call on schools to ensure they maximise the benefit to their schools of the works sanctioned.

As outlined in the circular governing the operation of the summer works scheme, applications for works in the higher categories were prioritised. Unfortunately the application from scoil náisiúnta Tír an Fhiadh, Leitir Mór, was a category 7 project at primary school level and, due to the scale of demand for funding under the scheme, it was not possible to grant aid category 7 primary school projects. Applications from schools for gas, mechanical and electrical works were prioritised for summer works scheme funding this year. Unfortunately, due to the scale of demand for funding under the scheme, it was not possible to grant aid all applications and, accordingly, it has been necessary to prioritise some categories of works over others. The Department has sought to prioritise the funds that are available towards works that are most relevant to the health and safety of staff and students alike in our schools, and which have the most potential for job creation.

In the meantime, for works that are of a very urgent nature, it is open to the school authorities to consider whether the works in question 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 at www.education.ie. This year, almost €383 million will be invested in school building infrastructure under the school building and modernisation programme.

I thank the Senator for raising the matter and confirm my commitment and that of the Minister to advance capital projects in line with available resources.

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)
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Is the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, stating it was more important to prioritise security for the Queen of England and President Obama than to spend on the children in our schools? Sufficient capital has not been made available.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The visits of both leaders have greatly benefited Ireland and already, from a tourism point of view, we can see such benefits. As a result of the visits and the increased consequent income one hopes we may be able to consider expanding summer works schemes to include schools such as that in Tír an Fhiadh.