51 extra schools added to Summer Work Scheme

MORE than 50 schools have been added to the Department of Education’s Summer Works Scheme for a range of repairs and other projects to be carried out during the school holidays.

Education Minister Ruairí Quinn has secured almost €5 million, in addition to the €71m already allocated to the scheme, bringing the total number of schools to benefit to almost 880.

The Irish Examiner has learned that 40 primary and 11 second-level schools who appealed their exclusion from earlier phases of the scheme, will find out today that their appeals have been successful.

They include nine Dublin schools, six in Galway and five in Wexford.

Four Cork primary schools — Scoil an Athair Maitiú in Togher, Christ King Girls’ National School in the city and Caheragh NS near Skibbereen, along with St Peter’s NS, Dungourney, — are also on the list.

Two Tralee primary schools, Scoil Náisiúnta Sliabh a Mhadra and Scoil Bhreach Chluain, as well as two Limerick schools, SN Ma Rua and Catherine McAuley Special School, will also receive letters from the department today.

The list of 51 schools also features schools in Tipperary (Littleton NS, Our Lady of Mercy in Cahir and Rathkeevin NS, Clonmel) and Waterford city (St Stephen’s De La Salle Boys NS and Mount Sion Secondary School), with news of a successful appeal also being sent to Scoil Iosef Naofa in Ennis, Co Clare.

Mr Quinn approved 453 schools’ applications under the Summer Works Scheme at an estimated cost of €41.2m in March, but announced a further 374 schools could proceed with works due to €30m being set aside under the May jobs initiative.

Meanwhile, Minister of State Sean Sherlock told the Dáil that a proposed new building to facilitate the amalgamation of three second-level schools in Skibbereen is being considered for inclusion in the department’s next public private partnership (PPP) project.

Cork South West Fine Gael TD Noel Harrington had asked about progress on funding for the project, which is led by Co Cork Vocational Education Committee and will lead to a school that could accommodate up to 1,000 students.

A site was acquired in 2009 and Mr Sherlock said the construction of the new school would be considered in the context of two further bundles of schools to be developed under PPP.