Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 428: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will provide grant aid to update a school (details supplied) in County Galway; if his attention has been drawn to the damp conditions in the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44850/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy applied for works under the 2008 Summer Works Scheme.

Since the Summer Works Scheme was introduced in 2004, 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, the particular emphasis in 2008 is on providing sufficient school places in developing areas, while also showing the Government's commitment to delivering improvements in the quality of existing primary and post-primary school accommodation throughout the country. Accordingly my Department has focussed on delivering as many large projects as possible in 2008 and there was no Summer Works Scheme this year.

However, it is intended to have a Summer Works Scheme in 2009. The Professional and Technical Reports provided by schools for 2008 can be used again for future projects so that schools will not be at the loss of expenditure on them.