Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 772: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason the summer works scheme in her Department was suspended; the funding available to schools to carry out small scale building works as per circular 0043/2007 projects; the way her Department assists with funding for such works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11821/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Summer Works Scheme was introduced in 2004 with the purpose of devolving funding to primary and post-primary school to carry out works to school buildings with minimum interaction with the Department. Since then, over 3,000 projects costing in excess of €300 million have been completed. With so many smaller projects having been completed over the past few years, I intend to focus on delivering as many large projects as possible in 2008. There is not, therefore, a new Summer Works Scheme as part of our building programme this year.

Primary school authorities may use their annual minor works grant to deal with small scale projects. In November 2006 I increased funding for the minor works grant by 44% on the previous year. Around €27m was paid out to primary schools throughout the country late last year to enable thousands of small scale works to be completed without the need to interact with my Department.

Another avenue to claim grant-aid from my Department is the Emergency Works Fund. Grants from this fund are available for very urgent unforeseen works, primarily of a major health and safety nature, to schools that are in most need of resources for capital works. Funding will continue to be available for dust extraction projects in 2008.