Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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376. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to a school (details supplied) for the Emergency Works Grant for roof repairs that is required urgently as they did not receive summer works funding [29378/26]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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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's original application was refused as the application did not fall within the remit of the EWS. However, the option remains open to the school to appeal this decision. Appeals will be considered if additional relevant information that was not provided as part of the original application is submitted to the EWS area via email.

The responsibility for identifying and applying for the most urgently required projects rests with the school authority and in the case of the school in question it should be noted that the school did not receive Summer works funding as the school did not make an application for works under the new Climate Action Summer works scheme which opened for applications in May 2025.

As you may be aware there is an onus on all schools to keep their school’s maintained to a high standard, and where remediation/refurbishment works are required my Department provides funding mechanisms in the guise of the Emergency Works Scheme and the Summer works scheme to assist schools in maintaining the condition of school properties. The school in question did not avail of the opportunities to replace the roof of the school building via an application for Summer Works under the 2025 or 2020 schemes.