Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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271. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide a status update on the planned science labs for a school (details supplied);; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23341/26]

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. The new CASWS closed for applications on the 30th June 2025 and a total of 1,430 schools made applications under the scheme.

In November 2025, my colleague the former Minister, Helen McEntee TD, announced the first tranche of approvals under the new Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (CASWS). 297 projects were approved to proceed in 2026, this included 99 remaining projects from the previous Summer Works Scheme. Included in the approvals for 2026 was the school in question.

All approved schools have been contacted by my department and informed as to next steps in order to progress their projects and my department will continue to engage with the schools in order to ensure their projects, in so far as possible, are completed in 2026.

Full details of the new CASWS, 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/