Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent)
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306. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the fact that private public partnership schools were not included for funding to assist with ventilation works which was issued through schools through a minor works grant recently; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10622/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The delivery of PPP schools includes provision for facilities management services such as building maintenance. These are designed to maintain quality of service delivery over the service period, in most cases 25 years.

To fund these services the Department issues monthly unitary payments, as a result PPP schools are not eligible to apply for Emergency Works, Summer Works or the receipt of a Minor Works Grant.

Due to exceptional circumstances in 2020 PPP schools were granted a once off minor works grant. Circa €2.4 million issued to PPP schools to assist in their work on the full implementation of COVID-19 Response Plan. These works may have included, but were not limited to, reconfiguration of classroom space, re-purposing rooms to provide additional space, adapting storage facilities, purchasing furniture, altering desk layouts, adapting toilet areas, short term rental of additional space and so on. All of which would lie outside the prevailing building management service for PPP schools.

In December 2021 an enhanced minor works grant issued to eligible schools to enable them to address small-scale ventilation improvements. With regard to PPP school, items such as windows and vents fall under the prevailing building management service. As a result PPP schools did not automatically qualify for the enhanced minor works grant. However, it is accepted that some PPP schools may require works to improve ventilation outside the remit of the prevailing building management service and will therefore be considered for financial assistance on a case by case basis.