Written answers

Tuesday, 12 March 2019

Department of Education and Skills

Schools Facilities

Photo of Denise MitchellDenise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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132. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the costs associated with conducting a national audit of secondary schools in respect of the equipment, infrastructure and facilities available to cook, prepare and serve meals to students in addition to the facilities in which they can eat; if this can be undertaken as part of a healthy schools policy; his plans for such an audit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11565/19]

Photo of Denise MitchellDenise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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133. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the funding available to schools that wish to develop and purchase equipment, infrastructure and facilities available to cook, prepare and serve meals to students in addition to the facilities in which they can eat; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11566/19]

Photo of Joe McHughJoe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 133 together.

My Department has in place detailed design guidelines for primary and post-primary schools. These guidelines, which are available on my Department's website, currently provide for a standard range of servery and eating facilities in the design of new Post Primary schools. At Post Primary level a kitchenette, 25m² in area, is provided off the General Purpose/Dining Area. These facilities are not intended to be full commercial type canteens where food is prepared or cooked.

My Department has no plans to undertake a national survey along the lines referred to by the Deputy.

Photo of Denise MitchellDenise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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134. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if schools have contacted his Department in respect of the availability of drinking water in schools; if applications have been made for financial support to address issues in which a school does not have a tap drinking water supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11568/19]

Photo of Denise MitchellDenise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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135. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an audit of all learning centres will be undertaken on the availability of potable drinking water; the estimated cost of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11569/19]

Photo of Joe McHughJoe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 134 and 135 together.

In existing buildings, if a school has concerns about the quality of its drinking water the competent authorities to address this are the relevant local authority and Irish Water. It is matter for schools to take their concerns up with those authorities. Following this contact, if any quality issues are identified as a result of a test, my Department will provide funding to address them. If a school does not have a tap drinking water supply, the Department will provide funding to address this also.

There is no impediment to a school applying to my Department for funding to remedy either of the situations outlined. Schools and their management bodies will be aware that this is the case from their customary interactions with my Department with regard to all aspects of their buildings.

The availability of tap drinking water supplies is covered by my Department's Emergency Works Grant Scheme under the "mechanical" category. Mechanical components of a building incorporate, among other things, all water systems, including tap drinking water supply. It is also open to schools to apply for remediation works under my Department's Summer Works Scheme which, likewise, has a "mechanical" category. Primary schools receive a minor works grant too which they can use for this purpose if they so wish. In addition, tap drinking water systems are automatically included in new school buildings and extension projects. My Department has dedicated guidelines for Design Teams setting out the standards to be implemented for these construction projects and for all remediation projects.

Given the range of components under the mechanical category in my Department’s Grant Schemes, records of the detail of the individual grants approved are not held. As it is open to schools to apply for funding to address drinking water issues in their schools, I have no plans for an audit to be carried out.

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