€40m for summer repairs at 386 schools

Schools attended by almost 100,000 children will benefit from improvement works which are to be funded over the summer holidays.

The reintroduction of the summer works scheme (SWS) for primary and second-level schools by Education Minister Ruairi Quinn is to see €40m being allocated, and he announced details of projects worth €36m yesterday.

They will be carried out at 386 schools across 26 counties, ranging from two each in Leitrim and Sligo to 48 in Cork and 56 in Dublin. Around a quarter are second-level schools and among these are almost 30 in the capital.

“These projects will stimulate economic activity by supporting 2,160 direct and 430 indirect construction jobs in the local economy,” said Mr Quinn.

The majority of works announced are either electrical or mechanical projects, with more than 22 related to gas works in schools.

The department said it has received almost 1,700 applications but further projects will be approved in the coming weeks. It is still processing applications for other categories which include disability access works, toilet upgrades, and repairs or replacements of school roofs and windows, and the projects to be funded may bring the total over the €40m which Mr Quinn said in November would be available.

While the funding will be welcomed, the SWS was cancelled for the last two years, after being first introduced in 2004 and running most years since, except in 2008. The Department of Education also restored a minor works grant this school year after being axed for two years, but that was also only on a one-off basis for now.

Although the department said no decisions have yet been made on whether either will be available in the next school year, the Irish Primary Principals Network urged Mr Quinn to secure the funding on a permanent basis.

“We obviously welcome the fact that the grants have been restored this year, but it is absolutely essential that they remain in place and that schools are not allowed to fall behind,” said IPPN president Brendan McCabe.

He said the minor works grant allowed schools keep up running repairs during the year and the SWS meant they could do more serious work during the holidays, but those arrangements went on hold when the grants were not available.

“I know one school where the playground was condemned by an engineer, and there was no funding to do remedial works,” said Mr McCabe. “The school was depending on an emergency works grant but they had to keep kids off the playground until it came through.”

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