Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 October 2023
313. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Education if any reviews or studies have been conducted by her Department into the use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in the construction of public buildings and buildings providing educational services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42434/23]
View answerMy Department is closely monitoring the situation in the UK with regard to the identification of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in schools and other public buildings.
RAAC is a lightweight, ‘bubbly’ form of concrete commonly used in construction in the UK between the 1950s and mid-1990s. It is predominantly found as precast panels in roofs (commonly flat roofs, sometimes pitched) and occasionally in floors and walls. RAAC panels are light-grey or white in appearance, the underside of the panels will appear smooth. The inside of the planks will appear bubbly, often described as looking like an Aero bar. Unlike traditional concrete, there will not be visible stones (aggregate) in the panels.
The Department’s initial research to ascertain whether RAAC was used in Irish schools has focused on reaching out to the wider construction industry including designers, contractors, and the Irish Concrete Society. All feedback received to date suggests that this product was not specified in Irish school buildings and indeed may not even have been available as a product to purchase/use in Ireland.
Notwithstanding this positive response, the Department is expanding its research by undertaking a number of structural surveys across a representative sample of schools and is liaising with relevant stakeholders in relation to the arrangements for same. It is the Department’s intention that by carrying out representative sampling of Irish school buildings that could potentially fit the profile for RAAC use (i.e. by building type and age), that it will strengthen its knowledge and position that RAAC is not a product used in our schools.
