Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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635. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a boundary fence will be erected at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11378/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The school to which the Deputy refers submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for universal access works.

The purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies or to provide funding to facilitate inclusion and access for pupils with special educational needs. It 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.

An emergency is deemed to be 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 EWS operates on the basis of the minimal scope of works required to remedy an emergency situation. The EWS usually provides an interim solution until such time as a comprehensive solution can be provided under the Summer Works Scheme (SWS).

The technical recommendation relating to this application advised that fencing will be supplied for the front of the school only which is on the roadside, the remaining existing boundary to the back and side of the school was deemed sufficient.

The school's EWS application was approved in October 2024 following some revisions to the scope of works and associated costings in line with the minimal scope of works on which the EWS operates, as outlined above.

The purpose of the SWS is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis and, 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 for a number of categories including windows and was last opened for applications in 2019. I have recently announced details about the next Climate Action SWS which can be accessed at the below link:

www.gov.ie/en/press-release/f0f33-minister-mcentee-opens-application-process-for-new-climate-action-summer-works-scheme/