Vol. 574 No. 2
100 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science the cost to his Department to purchase prefabs for temporary classroom accommodation buildings in each county in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26530/03]
Since the beginning of 2000 my Department has spent €55,297,374 on the provision of prefabricated buildings in the primary and post-primary sectors. This expenditure was for the supply and installation of the prefabricated buildings, including associated site works and other costs such as professional fees and connections for water, electricity and sewage. The breakdown of this expenditure is €4,106,999 in 2000, €9,383,363 in 2001, €21,763,878 in 2002 and €20,043,134 to date in 2003. I have arranged to forward to the Deputy the detailed breakdown of this expenditure on a county by county basis.
The demand for additional accommodation in schools has risen significantly over the past number of years, mainly due to the rapid expansion in teacher numbers, particularly in the area of special needs, the growth in the school-going population in rapidly developing areas and the demands to cater for diversity through the recognition of new gaelscoileanna and Educate Together schools. This additional accommodation is typically required on an urgent basis, for example, where a resource teacher or teachers have been provided and the provision of prefabricated buildings is the most effective way of addressing the immediate demand.
A new pilot initiative was launched in 2003 to reduce the amount of temporary accommodation at primary level. The purpose of this initiative is to allow primary schools to undertake a permanent solution to their classroom accommodation needs and to achieve the best value for money. The feedback from the 20 schools in the pilot initiative has been positive. It is expected that most will commence construction in the next few months. A review of the initiative is under way with a view to expanding it in 2004.
I look forward to a detailed reply from the Minister. The history of the Government and the Minister in regard to school buildings is disastrous. It was reported in today's newspapers that a priest has decided to contribute his pension to the building of a new school. Does the Minister feel bad about that? Two schools in my constituency in Wexford have recently acquired a second prefabricated classroom. Both have applied for new school buildings in recent years but there is no sign of them being sanctioned. A total of €55 million has been spent on prefabricated buildings. Does the Minister agree applications from schools are being put on the long finger because the attitude is they were given prefabricated buildings a number of years ago and they will not get a new school building? The Government is throwing up prefabricated classrooms left, right and centre and pushing schools down the waiting list for new school buildings.
The Deputy did not listen to my reply. There are so many prefabricated buildings—
That is because new schools are not being built.
—because of the increase in the number of teachers, which is related to the reduction in PTRs over the past number of years. The number of primary school teachers, for instance, increased from 22,905 in September 2000 to 25,637 in September 2003 while the number of post-primary teachers increased from 17,117 to 17,668. Additional resource teachers have been appointed and more accommodation has been needed. The increased population in rapidly developing areas also led to an increase in temporary accommodation. It is not feasible in all cases to provide permanent solutions overnight. I would be heavily criticised if I did not provide temporary accommodation so that pupils could attend school. Temporary accommodation is precisely that and I assure the Deputy that if a school must use a prefabricated building because of pressure of numbers and it is on the building list, its place on the list will not be affected.
Does the Minister consider eight years to be temporary?
I will not change the order of the building programme because a school gets a second prefabricated building.
I have referred to Drumacruttin national school previously where children are taught outside the entrance to the toilet for remedial and other purposes. The school had hoped for a new building but opted last year for temporary accommodation. I ask the Minister to examine the school's case as a matter of urgency. The budget will be announced shortly and funding may be scarce in his Department but this is one of the few Protestant schools in the Republic in which the number of pupils is increasing and it is aggrieved. I would appreciate it if the Minister would do something.
I will consider it in conjunction with the full building programme.
Has consideration been given to leasing prefabricated buildings instead of purchasing them, thus avoiding maintenance costs, depreciation in value and so on?
Has the Department compared the cost of permanent and prefabricated buildings? I have experience of cases in which local committees have been allowed to provide permanent buildings, such as small extensions to schools. The work has been carried out more economically than would be the case if prefabs had been provided. A great bonus in that regard is the provision of a permanent building which will last for many years, rather than a temporary one which would have to be replaced after a few years. Is the Minister in a position to move that idea forward in the Department for particular types of work? The provision of permanent structures, rather than prefabs, should be pursued. I accept that this could not apply generally, but it could apply to certain types of work. I welcome the Minister's announcement that the pilot project initiated in 2003 is being considered with a view to future expansion.
With regard to Deputy Stanton's question, leasing has been used in certain circumstances but it would not be the norm. Generally speaking, it is on the basis of purchase. It is left to the local schools concerned to make their own arrangements in many cases. On the question of prefabs as compared to permanent structures, I thank Deputy McHugh for his remarks. Last year's building programme included the devolved rural initiative for small schools in rural areas, whereby a set sum of money was given to the local community concerned in each case. Of the 20 schools involved, 13 were one-classroom schools, four had two classrooms and three had one classroom plus a resource learning support room. That is the direction in which I wish to proceed, where it is feasible in the local circumstances. It has been successful.
In the repairs and refurbishment programme, we applied a similar approach to 20 projects, allocating a fixed sum of money and letting the local community make its own arrangements. Most people were willing to operate on that basis. Everybody whom we asked did so and the system appears to be working well. During the year, a number of groups in the circumstances to which the Deputy referred, having been authorised to obtain a prefab, came back to the Department with an alternative proposition for a permanent structure at a similar cost to that of the temporary building. In practically all cases, that suited and the Department gave the authorisation requested. That is the approach I wish to encourage. I believe it provides better value for money.
