Skip to main content
Normal View

School Accommodation

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2010

Wednesday, 29 September 2010

Questions (44)

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

132 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the number of prefabricated structures currently in use at primary and second level schools on a county basis here; the number of such structures put in place in each of the past three years to date in 2010; the cost involved in each case; the extent to which consideration is being given to the provision of permanent structures to replace such buildings in the current and future years with particular reference to the need to alleviate overcrowding, excessive class sizes and poor pupil-teacher ratios; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33613/10]

View answer

Written answers

I set out below for the Deputies information:

Table (A) outlining the number of rented prefabs in place in 2010, and those that were in place in 2009 in primary and post primary schools and the annual rental costs involved on a county by county basis. The information for 2008 is not readily available.

Table (B) outlining prefabricated structures purchased for schools since 2008 and the costs involved on a county by county basis. My Department does not currently hold information on purchased prefabs in situ in schools pre 2008. A new inventory of accommodation, both temporary and permanent, has gone live on the Esinet portal and data collection has commenced. The data obtained will supplement the information held on the Department’s existing databases, particularly with regard to purchased prefabricated accommodation that was in place prior to January 2008 and create a more complete picture of the use of prefabricated accommodation in schools.

Table (C) outlining the number of rented prefabs sanctioned for each of the past 3 years. Please note that numbers of prefabs listed refer to prefabricated "units" and may consist of one or more classrooms.

The overall policy goal of my Department is to ensure the highest standard of permanent accommodation for all schools. However, in the context of a rapidly increasing school population and competing pressure on the capital budget available to my Department, it is necessary to make use of temporary accommodation in order to meet the accommodation needs of schools. This temporary accommodation is suitable for use as classroom accommodation. It is important, when additional teacher posts are sanctioned by my Department, that schools are facilitated to appoint and accommodate them as soon as possible.

With regard to consideration being given to the provision of permanent structures to replace such buildings, a change in policy implemented by my Department is to provide devolved grant aid for the purchase (rather than rental) of additional accommodation where the need for such accommodation is likely to exist for more than 3 years. Furthermore, since July 2008, it is also policy to offer schools being approved for devolved grant aid for additional accommodation the option to use their capital grant aid to build a permanent classroom(s) rather than purchase a prefab. These policies will reduce the usage of prefabricated accommodation and, particularly, the incidence of long-term rental of prefabs.

My Department has engaged a specialist firm to develop new procedures and systems for the provision of temporary accommodation with a view to achieving best value for money. The review is well under way and incorporates the development of standard specifications for temporary accommodation, the development of new contractual terms to incorporate buy-out and relocation options to cater for individual local circumstances and appropriately protect the interests of the Department and school authorities.

Table A: Details of Rented Prefabricated Structures by County

Rented Prefabs by County as at September 2010

County

Primary

Post-Primary

Annual Rental

2010

Prefab No’s

Prefab No’s

B + C For 2010

Carlow

13

6

292,482.30

Cavan

27

2

395,589.68

Clare

64

0

710,364.52

Cork

227

9

3,146,740.91

Dublin

268

21

5,592,530.83

Donegal

52

5

783,984.87

Galway

132

14

1,731,927.10

Kerry

32

0

348,877.44

Kilkenny

21

0

210,945.91

Kildare

116

0

1,568,533.20

Laois

35

0

537,244.81

Leitrim

10

0

141,360.24

Limerick

61

0

625,137.56

Longford

12

0

186,025.04

Louth

83

8

1,370,775.72

Mayo

52

4

527,575.39

Meath

124

1

1,993,870.82

Monaghan

13

4

210,341.66

Offaly

16

6

322,255.58

Roscommon

14

0

123,580.55

Sligo

25

0

260,713.05

Tipperary

40

0

488,216.67

Waterford

50

12

712,073.42

Westmeath

30

0

387,420.58

Wexford

74

1

773,498.57

Wicklow

58

8

756,996.14

Total No. of Prefab Units

1,649

101

24,199,062.56

Rented Prefabs by County as at December 2009

County

Primary

Post-Primary

Annual Rental

2009

Prefab No’s

Prefab No’s

B + C For 2009

Carlow

18

6

340,870.90

Cavan

29

2

429,064.32

Clare

70

0

799,620.39

Cork

224

9

3,136,775.72

Dublin

300

19

5,092,708.37

Donegal

71

5

1,098,023.05

Galway

139

14

1,845,426.22

Kerry

33

0

394,186.77

Kilkenny

22

0

243,892.63

Kildare

135

8

1,903,481.59

Laois

38

0

581,795.54

Leitrim

10

0

167,000.48

Limerick

63

0

660,114.50

Longford

13

0

199,343.04

Louth

77

1

1,180,085.31

Mayo

60

4

582,006.68

Meath

134

1

2,105,972.20

Monaghan

14

4

223,340.76

Offaly

22

3

414,060.88

Roscommon

14

2

153,216.46

Sligo

26

0

295,063.23

Tipperary

43

0

524,773.61

Waterford

51

12

790,620.14

Westmeath

31

0

436,683.09

Wexford

82

1

890,695.26

Wicklow

61

8

758,427.54

Total No. of Prefab Units

1,780

99

25,247,248.68

Table B: Purchased Prefabs 2008, 2009, 2010

County

Primary

Post-Primary

Combined Cost

2008

No. of Prefabs

No. of Prefabs

For B + C

Carlow

3

0

360,000.00

Cavan

6

0

692,725.00

Clare

15

0

1,316,912.00

Cork

24

11

3,102,914.00

Donegal

4

8

1,430,480.00

Dublin

43

3

4,367,633.00

Galway

12

5

2,268,768.00

Kerry

4

1

591,673.00

Kildare

9

5

2,484,723.00

Kilkenny

5

0

520,000.00

Laois

8

0

589,557.00

Leitrim

0

0

0.00

Limerick

5

3

746,270.00

Longford

3

0

360,000.00

Louth

11

1

1,509,594.00

Mayo

3

1

420,000.00

Meath

30

3

4,227,265.00

Monaghan

1

2

270,000.00

Offaly

6

2

696,828.00

Roscommon

2

0

250,944.00

Sligo

3

4

598,573.00

Tipperary

4

3

636,625.00

Waterford

4

9

1,086,599.00

Westmeath

8

7

1,367,466.00

Wexford

6

0

612,667.00

Wicklow

3

0

306,800.00

Total No. of Prefab Units

222

68

30,815,016.00

County

Primary

Post-Primary

Combined Cost

2009

No. of Prefabs

No. of Prefabs

For B + C

Carlow

1

0

50,000.00

Cavan

2

0

73,060.00

Clare

2

0

199,361.00

Cork

11

8

1,416,399.00

Donegal

6

4

629,372.00

Dublin

17

16

2,492,570.00

Galway

8

7

1,090,984.00

Kerry

0

3

119,437.00

Kildare

3

0

243,822.00

Kilkenny

2

8

851,793.00

Laois

14

0

774,581.00

Leitrim

0

1

41,701.00

Limerick

4

1

265,734.00

Longford

3

0

190,750.00

Louth

2

0

198,745.00

Mayo

2

0

119,000.00

Meath

7

2

670,000.00

Monaghan

4

4

440,666.00

Offaly

3

0

300,000.00

Roscommon

0

0

0.00

Sligo

1

5

140,261.00

Tipperary

2

0

108,091.00

Waterford

4

0

346,987.00

Westmeath

2

1

230,208.00

Wexford

0

6

198,141.00

Wicklow

2

0

109,874.00

Total No. of Prefab Units

102

66

11,301,537.00

County

Primary

Post-Primary

Combined Cost

2010–To Sept 2010

No. of Prefabs

No. of Prefabs

For B + C

Carlow

1

0

52,665.00

Cavan

1

0

130,000.00

Clare

0

0

0.00

Cork

7

6

949,704.00

Donegal

1

2

107,211.00

Dublin

16

6

1,714,479.00

Galway

6

0

682,452.00

Kerry

5

0

324,732.00

Kildare

0

0

0.00

Kilkenny

0

0

0.00

Laois

1

0

38,952.00

Leitrim

1

2

127,382.00

Limerick

4

0

364,109.00

Longford

7

0

371,382.00

Louth

3

2

440,000.00

Mayo

0

4

280,000.00

Meath

6

4

624,207.00

Monaghan

4

0

206,557.00

Offaly

0

0

0.00

Roscommon

0

0

0.00

Sligo

0

1

111,336.00

Tipperary

0

0

0.00

Waterford

0

0

0.00

Westmeath

0

0

0.00

Wexford

2

0

150,000.00

Wicklow

0

0

0.00

Total No. of Prefab Units

65

27

6,675,168.00

Table C — Rentals Sanctioned (3 Years) and Costs Involved

Primary And Post-Primary Schools

Year

Number of Prefab

Annual Rental

Rentals Sanctioned

Cost For Prefabs Sanctioned

2010

23

347,566.69

2009

49

632,462.92

2008

246

5,388,618.33

Top
Share