Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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96. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will reinstate the minor works grant scheme for the 2014-15 school year in view of the importance of this scheme over the years to maintain basic accommodation requirements in many schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39321/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Circular Letter 0062/2013 which was published as the Minor Works Grant for the school year 2013/2014 issued last November states "the grant will only be paid in future years as funding permits". The focus under the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Programme 2012-2016 is on meeting the demand for additional school places. Consequently, there is no funding provided at this time in the 2014 capital allocation for the payment of a Minor Works Grant.

I am aware that whenever my Department is in a position to issue a Minor Works Grant (to all primary schools with permanent recognition) that it is welcomed by school communities and management bodies as a valuable contribution towards the cost of maintaining school infrastructure.