Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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466. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the date the next tranche of projects to receive funding under the annual climate action summer works scheme 2026 will be announced. [66289/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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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.

It is anticipated that the next tranche of approvals will be announce in the latter half of 2026.

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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467. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will reconsider a school’s (details supplied) application under the annual climate action summer works scheme 2026, given the urgent nature of the works and the critical road safety concerns that exist if the works are not carried out promptly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66290/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The purpose of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (CASWS) is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis that, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The CASWS operates on a multi-annual basis across a number of categories of works.

It is envisaged that approvals in any given year will involve a spread of categories rather than the traditional single category at a time. This is aimed at managing market capacity and maximising value for money opportunities for school authorities.

The CASWS will operate on a multi-annual basis. 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.

Given that funding is limited in any particular year it is necessary to prioritise applications. Under the new climate action summer works scheme which operates on a multi annual basis, like previous summer works schemes, applications from schools, including Ballygiblin National School, that are 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 of the announcement and the list of schools approved in the first tranche, the Circular (0029/2025) for the scheme and guidance documents for schools can be found at the below link;

www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/services/summer-works-scheme/

It remains open to a school to apply for funding under the Department's emergency works scheme. 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.