Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 268: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the priority with regard to funding classrooms that are rat infested, old and without toilets or new physical education halls and gyms. [37106/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In accordance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, individual school authorities are responsible in the first instance for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care. Provision is built into the annual school building programme to enable schools to address urgent health and safety issues as identified by the school authority by way of an annual allocation, currently amounting to €3,809 plus €12.70 per pupil, under the devolved grant scheme for minor works. This allocation can be used entirely at the discretion of the school authority to address basic health and safety issues as they arise.

Where schools are unable to address all issues arising on an incremental basis it is further open to the school authority to apply for funding from my Department under the appropriate scheme, that is, the summer works scheme, which provides capital grants for small scale improvement works at primary and post-primary schools during the summer holidays. The scheme is advertised annually.

With regard to physical education facilities in schools, it is open to each management authority to apply for capital funding on form FLE — application for grant aid for major capital works for national schools. Each application is assessed against the published prioritisation criteria.