Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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310. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on her engagement with a school (details supplied); when the works will be completed; if she will accept that the project is urgently needed for the school community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32564/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The school referred to by the Deputy was approved funding under my Department's Additional School Accommodation Scheme for the provision of a two classroom special education needs base. The project is devolved for delivery to the school authority and it appointed a design team for the project.

Department officials visited the school earlier this year in order to give whatever practical assistance was possible to progress the project. Further recommendations and comments were issued to the Design Team in recent weeks and my Department is now awaiting a submission from the school authority. Upon completion of the review of that submission, further communication will issue directly to the school authority in order to progress this project forward to the next stage of the architectural process.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Emergency Works application to which the Deputy refers has been assessed by my Department. I wish to advise the Deputy that approval for these works has not been granted as they did not fall within the scope of the Emergency Works Scheme.

The main purpose of the Emergency Works Grant Scheme is to provide for unforeseen emergencies that impact on school buildings. An emergency is a situation which poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or the environment, which is sudden, unforeseen and requires immediate action and, in the case of a school, if not corrected would prevent the school or part thereof from opening.

An email has been sent to the school advising of same. The school still has the option to make an application to the summer works program when it next opens.