Claire Kerrane
Question:240. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education and Youth the financial supports available to schools for safety measures outside; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8956/26]
View answerThursday, 5 February 2026
Questions (240)
Written answers
Financial supports relating to the provision of funding for issues raised by the Deputy can fall under a number of different delivery mechanisms including, most frequently, Minor Works, Summer Works Scheme and the Emergency Works Scheme.
Since 2020, €330 million in Minor Works Grants and Enhanced Minor Works Grants, have been allocated to schools. This includes the payment of Minor Works Grants totalling almost €30 million for the school year 2026/2027 which has issued in December 2025
Primary and special schools need not apply for Minor Works Grant aid. Under the scheme, funding is made available to all primary and special schools on the following basis:
€5,500 basic grant plus €18.50 per mainstream pupil and €74 per special needs pupil enrolled in the school on the 30th of September of the year prior to the issue of the grant. The €74 rate applies to a special needs pupil attending a special school or attending a special class attached to a mainstream school.
Schools have the autonomy to use this funding for maintenance and small-scale improvements to school buildings and grounds. Given that each school setting is different, individual schools are best placed, to decide how best to use this funding to address their particular needs.
The purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies. 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 is open for applications throughout all of the year.
The purpose of the SWS is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis and, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school.