Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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202. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will provide funding for a school (details supplied) to install toilets, welfare facilities and an extension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26381/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I should explain that applications relating to the provision of funding for issues relating to an existing school building can fall under a number of different delivery mechanisms including, most frequently, the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) and the Emergency Works Scheme.

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 there are currently no outstanding EWS or SWS projects. The newly announced Climate Action Summer works will open for applications in early May and could include the upgrade or provision of play areas, full details of same and how to apply can be found under Summer Works Scheme www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/services/summer-works-scheme/. The EWS is open for applications year-round. It is open to the school to make an application under the most appropriate scheme.

In respect of the extension there is a traditional build project that will deliver additional accommodation by way of an extension to the building for a project to provide 3 Mainstream Classroom, 2 SET Rooms, 1 Music Room, 1 Science Lab with Prep Area, 1 Graphics Room, 1 Home Economics Room, 1 Construction Room with Prep Area, 1 SEN Base, and Ancillary. This project received my departments approval to progress to Stage 2b in Q4 2024 and the department now awaits a post planning (developed design) report from the school for review. As part of this project the school in question was given permission by my department to procure temporary toilet facilities for the duration of their current project. My officials are working with the school authorities to progress this matter as soon as possible.