Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 December 2004
402 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the moneys or grants made available to local school managements in respect of providing funds to upgrade older toilets in national schools in view of the age of some schools; if she has satisfied herself with the general condition in view of the understandable concentration on health and hygiene in the school system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32313/04]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy is not readily available in the format requested. If the Deputy has a query about any specific school, I will provide the information for him.
There are a number of schemes funded by my Department from which the upgrading of toilet facilities can be addressed. Under the grant scheme for minor works to national school properties which came into operation in January 1997, all national schools are given an annual allocation of €3,809 plus €12.70 per pupil which can be used entirely at the discretion of school management to address basic health and safety issues relating to the school infrastructure including the upgrading of toilet facilities. In addition my Department introduced a new initiative called the summer works scheme, SWS, in 2004, which provides capital grants for small-scale improvement works, including the upgrading of toilet facilities at both primary and post-primary schools. Where the scope of the works required is too extensive to be carried out under SWS it is open to schools to make application for inclusion in the school building programme.
Between 1998 and 2004, almost €2 billion will have been invested in primary and post-primary educational infrastructure. At primary level this has delivered 84 new school buildings, over 350 large-scale refurbishments or extensions projects, which included the upgrading of toilet facilities, over 6,000 smaller-scale projects and thousands of other small-scale works under the annual minor works grant. At post-primary, this has delivered 46 new school buildings, over 160 large-scale refurbishments or extensions and over 850 smaller-scale projects.
In accordance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989, it is the responsibility of school management authorities to have a safety statement in place in their schools. Schools are obliged to identify possible hazards, assess the risks to health and safety and put appropriate safeguards in place. Individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care.
