Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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84. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of the situation regarding the 35 year old roof at a school (details supplied) in County Longford, that an application for funding to replace it was refused and an Emergency Works Grant awarded instead in November 2015, and that new leaks have been identified since then; if she will review her decision not to replace the roof; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4553/16]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The school to which the Deputy refers submitted three applications under the Emergency Works Scheme in the past year or so. Two of these were received on 22 December 2014. The first of these sought funding to replace leaking pipes and carry out electrical repairs. This application was approved and the grant has been paid in full.

The second application sought funding to replace the fire alarm system but this application was refused as it was outside the scope of works that would qualify for funding under the terms of the Emergency Works Grant Scheme.

The third application was received on 9 June, 2015 seeking funding to replace the roof of the school building. This application was refused as it was also outside the scope of the Emergency Works Scheme.

Following an appeal by the school in November, a grant was allocated to carry out repairs to the roof and the school was advised to apply under the Summer Works Scheme for a replacement roof as this is the appropriate Scheme under which funding could be available for this type of work. It is a condition of the Summer Works Scheme that schools apply for the most urgently needed works at their school. Under the current Summer Works Scheme, the school in question applied for an electrical upgrade.

It is not intended that the Emergency Works Scheme, which is for sudden and unforeseen emergencies, will be used to supplement applications under other schemes or to replace any other schemes provided by my Department. The current offer of funding to the school to carry out repair works to its roof is consistent with this position and the fact that the replacement of a roof is outside the scope of the Emergency Works Grant Scheme.