Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 595: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the amount budgeted for emergency funding for school buildings for each of the past ten years; the amount spent for emergency repairs for school buildings for each of the past ten years; the number of projects rejected for this funding each year for the past ten years; the amount budgeted for emergency funding for schools buildings in 2009. [40991/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The main purpose of the emergency works scheme is to ensure the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are most in need of resources as a result of an unforeseen event of a capital nature that can arise during the course of a school year.

Prior to 2004, applications for works considered urgent were included in the category of small scale projects and, accordingly, the details sought by the Deputy for those years are not available. This category would also have included summer works type projects.

Since 2004 the emergency works grant scheme is one of a number of component elements or sub programmes of the capital allocation. The other elements include Large Scale Building Projects (new school buildings and major extensions/refurbishments); Site Acquisitions; Remediation Programmes (asbestos removal, radon mitigation); Furniture and Equipment; provision of Temporary Accommodation etc. The level of funding allocated to each element of the building programme for 2009, including emergency works, will be decided later in the year.

In the light of the large number of projects seeking funding under this scheme and the competing demands on the budget allocated, it was not possible to provide funding for all applications received this year.

The level of funding approved in the period 2004 to 2007 and the number of projects approved are given in the following tabular statement.