Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 422: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the proposed refurbishment at a school (details supplied) in County Carlow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44812/08]

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 454: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a school (details supplied) in County Carlow will be included in his Department's next announcement of capital spending; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45235/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 422 and 454 together.

An application for large scale capital funding from the school to which the Deputy refers has been assessed by the Planning and Building Unit of my Department and has been assigned a band 2 rating under the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects.

Progress on the project will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in light of current competing demands on the capital budget of the Department, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the progression of this project at this time.

In the meantime, individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care. In this regard, in accordance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989, it is the responsibility of school management authorities to have a safety statement in place in their schools. Schools are obliged to identify possible hazards, assess the risks to health and safety and to put appropriate safeguards in place.

Provision is made under the School Building Programme to enable schools to address urgent health and safety problems. In this regard, the Summer Works Scheme was introduced during 2004. This Scheme provides capital grants for improvement works at primary and post-primary schools. Since it was introduced, over 3,000 projects, costing in excess of €300 million have been completed.

This includes a project for the school in question which received in excess of €166,000 under the 2006 Summer Works Scheme for an electrical upgrade. While it was not possible to have a Summer Works Scheme in 2008, there will be a Scheme in 2009.

My Department also sets aside a contingency sum each year to deal with emergency works in primary and post-primary schools, including health and safety works.