John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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766. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the emergency works application of a school (details supplied). [18701/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies. 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 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.

In the case of the school in question it should be noted that a number of EWS projects have been applied for in recent years, and all of these projects have been either approved or rejected. There are currently no outstanding EWS applications for the school in question but the option is open to the school to submit an application for any works the school needs that would qualify for funding under the EWS.