The extent to which the defective block crisis is affecting schools is coming under the microscope, with the government this week confirming it is developing a strategy to deal with school buildings that are affected.
The commitment is contained in a reply to a Dail question tabled by Deputies Padraig MacLochlainn and Pearse Doherty after they visited Drumfad National School in Fanad, one of 16 schools in Donegal already applying for funding for testing or remediation.
However, both deputies are questioning whether the government will treat this with the urgency that’s required.
*******************
QUESTION
To ask the Minister for Education and Youth the plans in place to address the need for capital works at a school (details supplied) with defective concrete blocks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. (Details Supplied) Drumfad National School, Kerrykeel. Roll No: 16137Q
REPLY
My Department is committed to working with Drumfad National School, Kerrykeel and other schools impacted by Mica to find a solution. It is intended that officials from my Department’s Planning and Building unit will visit the affected schools in the coming months, and following these visits a Mica strategy will be further developed which will ensure the issues are addressed. The emergency works scheme remains available to all schools to deal with any immediate emergency situations.
The presence of mica insofar as it extends to school buildings is a relatively new issue. This issue first came to my Department’s attention back in 2021 when a number of schools, including the school in question, first applied for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme or EWS, to conduct testing for the presence of mica. The school in question was approved funding for testing for the presence of mica and once the testing had been completed and the presence of mica confirmed within the affected area, primarily one classroom, a subsequent EWS application for the remediation of the mica affected portion of the school was submitted to my Department.
The Emergency Works team in my Department has engaged with the school on this issue on a number of occasions, including most recently in June of this year when some further updated information was requested from the school. The Emergency Works team also provided an update to this school about the plan to deal with the issue in the affected building, by way of a programme approach, and that next steps would involve a site visit to affected schools commencing in Q4 2025.
On a general level, to date 16 schools, all based in Donegal, have submitted EWS applications for funding related to testing for the presence of mica. Most of the schools who have since confirmed the presence of mica in their buildings have submitted subsequent applications for the remediation of the mica affected portions of their schools.
In this regard, officials in my Department are currently working through a mica strategy which will involve adopting a programme approach to the issue and will facilitate a pathway for schools currently waiting on remediation of mica issues and any schools affected in the future. The Emergency Works team will continue to engage with and support schools as part of this process.
