Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 July 2006
414 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of prefabs which are being used by primary schools, secondary schools, centres of adult and further education in South Tipperary; and the number of learners who are being taught in prefabs in the primary, secondary, adult and further education sectors. [26769/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department.
Provision is built into the School Building and Modernisation Programme to enable schools address urgent accommodation problems such as health and safety issues, refurbishment works, additional accommodation etc. Primary schools are given an annual allocation, currently amounting to €3,809 plus €12.70 per pupil, under the grant scheme for minor works which can be used entirely at the discretion of school management to address basic health and safety issues relating to school infrastructure.
Two devolved schemes, the Small Schools Scheme and the Permanent Accommodation Scheme were introduced in 2003 to enable schools to address the need to extend/refurbish small primary school and provide permanent accommodation in lieu of prefabricated accommodation. Responsibility for the delivery of the projects is entirely devolved out to the schools and their design teams.
The Summer Works Scheme was introduced during 2004 which provides capital grants for small scale refurbishment works at primary and post-primary schools. The level of funding that is provided is based on the cost estimate provided by the school's design team at application stage. Responsibility for the delivery of the projects is also entirely devolved out to the schools and their design teams. The scope of works covered under this scheme is intended to address Health and Safety issues in all schools as well as improvement works to the existing fabric of the buildings.
My Department also sets-aside a contingency sum each year to deal with emergency works in primary and post-primary schools, including health and safety works. Urgently required health and safety works relating to asbestos removal, radon mitigation or dust extraction may be grant-aided under the remediation programmes operated by the School Building Section of my Department.
This year alone, €277 million in total will be allocated to primary schools for building works. The new Schools Building and Modernisation Programme 2006-2010 will be underpinned not just by a significant increase in overall funding but also by major improvements in the administration of the funding. Devolving more funding to local level through the Summer Works Scheme and the Small and Rural School's initiative will allow schools to move ahead more quickly with smaller projects.
