Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The main purpose of the Emergency Works 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. The scheme does so by ensuring the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation.

The school to which the deputy refers applied for retrospective funding for additional works carried out in respect of an EWS project. These additional works were beyond the approve scope of the project and approval was not sought in advance of the works being conducted and are deemed a request for retrospective funding. My Department does not provide retrospective funding for any projects in line with Circular PBU 5/04, which outlines the position in relation to retrospective funding, and is attached for your information.