258. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Youth the specific funding streams available through her Department for national schools that wish to develop or upgrade outdoor facilities within their schools to encourage play, exercise and mobility. [66398/26]

I should explain that applications relating to the provision of funding for issues relating to an existing school building can fall under a number of different delivery mechanisms including, most frequently, the Summer Works Scheme and the Emergency Works Scheme and could include the upgrade or provision of play areas.

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 operates on the basis of the minimal scope of works required to remedy an emergency situation. The EWS usually provides an interim solution until such time as a comprehensive solution can be provided under the Summer Works Scheme (SWS).

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.

The Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (which was previously named the Summer Works Scheme) places a strong emphasis on sustainability. Schools can now undertake additional measures such as insulation upgrades, LED lighting installation, EV charger provision, bike rack facilities to support active travel and other climate-focused works alongside traditional maintenance.

The newly announced Climate Action Summer works opened for applications on the 1st May and the application window closed on the 30th of June 2025, full details of the scheme can be found under Summer Works Scheme: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/services/summer-works-scheme/. The EWS is open for applications year-round. It is open to the school to make an application under the most appropriate scheme.