Summer building scheme a discarded success story
- Published: 10 October 2008
By Niall Murray, Education Correspondent
THE school building programme has been the subject of political nightmares for education ministers for more than a generation.
But the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) has been one of the few success stories of the past decade when it comes to fast and efficient progress in upgrading the facilities of Ireland's 4,000 primary and second-level schools.
Announced on December 10, 2003, by the minister of the day Noel Dempsey, the scheme was designed to give schools power to manage building projects of a non-emergency nature.
The type of work allowed to be done with the grants was diverse, such as replacement of roofs and windows, refurbishing toilets, modernising electrical and heating systems, upgrading play areas or parking facilities, and making schools more accessible for students and staff with disabilities.
While there were some concerns initially that principals were being loaded with more work during the summer as there was no funding for project managers to oversee the works, school communities warmed to the programme.
A key aspect was that the projects could be carried out in the summer months, meaning minimal or no disruption to learning and allowing contractors full access to the school.
There was also the advantage of allowing work to be done before outdated machinery and equipment could become a problem which might require emergency works during school terms.
The significant rise in funding for the project was an indicator of its success and its popularity, with more than half of the country's schools applying for support under the 2007 scheme.
In its first year of operation, applications were invited by the end of February but this was brought forward in later years to November and October to allow schools to be chosen and to plan efficiently for work to start once summer holidays began.
In early June 2007, before primary schools had even begun their summer holidays, Education Minister Mary Hanafin issued details of the following year's scheme and invited applications.
With the deadline this time brought forward to the end of September, school staff worked during the summer or spent late nights after returning from summer holidays to get their reports together and submit applications in time.
The Department of Education had told them that a list of successful applicants would be published in December but Ms Hanafin declared on December 6, the day after the budget, that the scheme was being discontinued for 2008 to allow concentration of building funds on large scale projects and provision of schools in rapidly developing areas.
