Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

442. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide a breakdown of the number of schools, per county, that were approved under the muti-annual summer works scheme for the years 2022 to 2025 to date, respectively, in tabular form. [66049/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As the Deputy may be aware, in November 2025 the Minister announced the first tranche of approvals under the new Climate Action Summer Works Scheme. 297 projects were approved to proceed and involve primary, post primary and special schools, along with projects in all counties and across all categories of works. The investment in the first tranche of applications is in the region of €90m.

Under this scheme, approved applications from schools that were not reached for funding or market prioritisation reasons in 2026 will qualify to be assessed for purposes of the funding available for climate action summer works in subsequent years.

Full details of the Climate Action Works Scheme including details of the first tranche of approvals can be found at (www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/services/summer-works-scheme/).

Under the previous SWS 2020, the last tranche of SWS 2020 approvals were announced in 2022.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

443. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide a breakdown of the funding allocated to schools under the summer works scheme on a county-by-county basis, for the year 2023, 2024 and 2025 respectively, in tabular form. [66050/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As the Deputy may be aware, the purpose of the Summer Works Scheme (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 categories of works such as roof works, window replacement, mechanical and electrical works, external works etc..a

Since 2020 my department has provided funding to the value of over €200m under the SWS to schools. The below table sets out the funding provided under the SWS for the years 2020 to date as per the Deputy's request:

Under this scheme, approved applications from schools that were not reached for funding or market prioritisation reasons in 2026 will qualify to be assessed for purposes of the funding available for climate action summer works in subsequent years.

Full details of the Climate Action Works Scheme including details of the first tranche of approvals can be found at

The funding of €90m recently announced is directed towards 297 projects. in the region of €30m of that funding is directed towards the refurbishment of science labs to support the curricular redevelopment programme. The 297 projects will now progress towards an open tendering process, for this reason providing details of funding per county at this stage could impede the tendering process and cannot be released.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

444. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide a breakdown of categories that schools were approved funding for under the summer works scheme, on a county-by-county basis, for the years 2023, 2024 and 2025 respectively, in tabular form. [66051/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

In November 2025 the Minister announced the first tranche of approvals under the new Climate Action Summer Works Scheme. 297 projects were approved to proceed and involve primary, post primary and special schools, along with projects in all counties and across all categories of works. The investment in the first tranche of applications is in the region of €90m.

Under this scheme, approved applications from schools that were not reached for funding or market prioritisation reasons in 2026 will qualify to be assessed for purposes of the funding available for climate action summer works in subsequent years.

Full details of the Climate Action Works Scheme including details of the first tranche of approvals can be found at

The last tranche of approvals under the previous Summer Works Scheme were announced in 2022. Please see below breakdown of categories that schools were approved funding for under the climate action summer works scheme 2026, on a county-by-county basis.

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

445. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to multiple applications made by a school (details supplied) under the emergency works scheme; the actions she will take to ensure these applications are progressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66057/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As the Deputy may be aware, 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.

The school in question have submitted a number of EWS applications all of which are different stages and outlined below:

#4898: Cat:2 Roof Works: The application in question is currently being reviewed by the technical area within the EWS. Once a technical recommendation has been received back from the technical team, the EWS team will engage further with the school as appropriate.

#5339: Cat1: Life Safety Systems: School were advised in May 2025, to submit further documentation. Once this has been received the EWS team will review the revised application and will engage further with the school as appropriate.

#5380: Cat1: Life Safety Systems: Application has been approved. Project currently with school to progress further.

#5474: Cat9: Fabric Defects: The application in question is currently being reviewed by the technical area within the EWS. Once a technical recommendation has been received back from the technical team, the EWS team will engage further with the school as appropriate.

In all cases the EWS team is aware of the urgent nature of the works required and will keep the school informed throughout the process.