Written answers
Tuesday, 4 July 2023
Department of Education and Skills
Schools Building Projects
Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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303. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the ASA application, with the capital appraisal section of her Department, made by a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32437/23]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school in question under the Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme.
A proposed brief has recently been agreed with the school to undertake reconfiguration works to accommodate a special class. My Department will be in further contact with the school regarding the progression of the project to the next stage.
Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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304. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when she expects to announce projects being approved vis-à-vis the summer works scheme; if she will specifically look at the application made by a school (details supplied) in respect of replacing a collapsing floor in the school’s general purpose room; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32438/23]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, the purpose of the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) is to devolve funding to individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works which, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The SWS operates on a multi-annual basis and was last opened for applications in 2019.
The Department is leading an ambitious sustainability agenda and has progressed a wide array of measures to improve the overall sustainability of our school buildings. It is a priority for Government to deliver on Ireland’s ambitious climate agenda and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This includes targets around the decarbonisation of Ireland’s public buildings.
As part of it’s planning for 2023 and beyond, Department officials are working on the arrangements for the next phases of the summer works programme. It is envisaged at this stage that, a new Multi-Annual SWS with a focus on climate action and energy conservation will be opened for new applications later in 2023 for delivery of projects on a phased basis from 2024 onwards. Schools will be notified of the details of the SWS in due course.
As the school do not have a current SWS application, the SWS team cannot assist with this request. It is open to school to make an application for a SWS project when the next round of summer works opens for applications.
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