Education Schemes
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-12
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Charlie McConalogue (FF), Donegal

I am responding on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Naughton. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to discuss the role of the Department of Education and Youth’s emergency works scheme. The purpose of the emergency works scheme is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies or to providing 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 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 emergency works scheme operates on the basis of a minimal scope of works required to address the emergency situation. The scheme is intended to remedy an emergency situation and usually provides an interim measure until a permanent solution can be delivered under a summer works scheme. The new climate action summer works scheme approved 297 applications in November 2025.
The school in question submitted an application for funding under the emergency works scheme for roof works on 1 October 2025, with a decision issuing by the Department on 8 October 2025. Unfortunately, the school's original application was refused as the application did not fit the remit of the emergency works scheme, that being the scope of works that was presented did not meet the criteria of sudden and unforeseen. However, the option remains open to the school to appeal this decision. Appeals will only be considered if additional relevant information that was not provided as part of the original application is provided to the Department.
The school in question had other emergency works applications approved in the past 12 months. In August of last year, the school was approved funding for electrical installation, emergency lighting and a fire alarm. This project is currently with the school to progress further. With all emergency works scheme applications, the emergency works team is aware of the urgent nature of the works required, and will keep the school informed throughout the process.
In November 2023, the school in question submitted an application for funding for roof works under the emergency works scheme. The Department sought further information from the school in a number of queries in November of that year but due to the passage of time and having received no response from the school to the queries, the application was closed off. I understand the school is also in contact with the Department of Education and Youth in regard to a current issue and I will ask the Minister, Deputy Naughton, to provide an update on this matter directly to Deputy Geoghegan.
Assessing the response from the Minister, I know the new application did not meet the criteria for emergency works. There is an opportunity for the school to appeal. The key point Deputy Geoghegan is making is that he is very much of the view, based, I am sure, on his visit to the school, that the two issues are related and that to do one is not feasible without doing the other. I am sure this would be the key point as the basis of any appeal open to the school.
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I know he will be coming back with a further response. I will certainly be relaying the fact that he raised this issue and the points he made to the Minister. I have no doubt that the Minister will liaise with him to see if there is a way forward.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-12/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:02+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-12