Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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429. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way her Department ensures that the buildings for which her Department has responsibility are built using blocks that are free from mica and deleterious materials in construction projects in County Donegal; if her Department has checked existing buildings for the presence of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7652/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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To date, only a handful of schools in Donegal have concerns about the presence of mica and the Department is dealing with them through its Emergency Works Scheme.

The current arrangement is that if a school suspects there is Mica present they should submit an Emergency Works Scheme application for funding to have testing carried out. If the test results show Mica is present the school should employ a Consultant to complete an Emergency Works Scheme application for funding to remediate the problem. To date 5 schools have applied for funding to have testing carried out all of which have been approved, one of the schools submitted a supplementary application for remedial works which was also approved and one other school had Mica identified during an Additional Schools Accommodation project and the remedial works will be incorporated into this project.

The Department will continue to work closely with the schools to help them address any mica issues.