Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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262. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he is aware of a situation in a school (details supplied) where during the course of renovations to its playground it was discovered that the wastewater facilities were in a bad state of repair; that his Department was immediately informed of this but the school was informed that there were no funds left to assist with an upgrade; whether this is a health and safety hazard for staff and pupils and if he needs to urgently address it; to intervene and advise the school on the necessary steps to ensure that the wastewater system is repaired as soon as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9593/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The school to which the Deputy refers applied for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme (EWG) for a new waste water treatment system.

The appropriate funding mechanism for this type of work is the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) and it is a condition of this scheme that schools apply for the most urgent works needed at their school. However, the school in question applied for car parking under SWS 2016/2017 knowing that there may be problem their sewerage system since early 2014.

The Emergency Works Scheme is not meant to supplement the Summer Works Scheme or vice versa. As the school in question considered car parking to be their highest priority their emergency works application was refused.