Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 March 2018
224. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to a fire outbreak in a school (details supplied) in March 2018; if additional resources to ensure that this work is expedited and completed as soon as possible will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12178/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra226. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of contracted staff working on the fire safety upgrades for a school (details supplied) from September 2017 by month; the number of hours worked per week per contractor; and if those contracted staff were working on other schools during that period, in tabular form. [12204/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 224 and 226 together.
My Department was made aware of the fire by the school when the school reopened after the snow storm. My Department authorised the school to engage a professional cleaning service to alleviate any after effects from the fire and arranged for a representative from the fire safety firm which carried out the initial fire risk assessment and which has assisted in developing the scope of works currently underway in the school to visit the school and provide a professional opinion on the condition of the building.
The detailed information on the Contractors staff working in the school is not information which is held by the Department. The main difficulty in carrying out the improvement works in the school has been that the school is fully occupied and the contractors are restricted to carrying out the improvement works on a single room by room basis. A room is vacated, works are carried out which involve fully stripping the room, upgrading the fire retardation provisions and, following reinstatement of the room, the room is again occupied thereby vacating the next room to be worked upon. The Department, through its project managers, have in the past two weeks been engaged with the contractor carrying out the works to seek to improve the timeframe for the completion of the works. However, the restrictions arising from working in a live and operational school environment continue to be the main factor influencing the programme.
At no stage has any of the Departments consultants, the contractor carrying out the works or indeed, Wicklow Fire Service itself suggested that the building is anything other than safe to continue in operation as a functioning school.
It is envisaged that the works at the school will be fully completed over the remainder of the current school year including the summer holiday period.
