Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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258. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if in view of her reply (details supplied) her Department will cover the costs of the re-tendering process for the school in question; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62352/25]

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, or to provide funding to facilitate inclusion and access for pupils with special 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 a minimal scope works to address the emergency situation. The EWS is intended to remedy an emergency situation and usually provides only an interim measure until a permanent solution can be delivered under the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) which deals with upgrade works to the school.

In the present circumstances the school proceeded to tender for a scope of works above the approved scope and on this basis the school was informed that these additional works were unapproved and that only the approved works could be tendered for and completed.

The school in question did not obtain approval for these additional works which were tendered for, beforehand, therefore the Department is not in a position to cover the costs of the re-tendering process for the school.