Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

Expenditure on prefabricated buildings amounts to just 5% of the €1.6 billion spent in recent years. The measure is used to ensure a speedy response in growing areas in particular. Many of these buildings are used throughout the country for children with special needs. A number of them have a very long lifespan and are of very good quality. In many instances, one would not recognise that the new ones are not a permanent solution. However, they are not designed to be a permanent solution, which is why the new initiative of allowing people funding is to allow them to decide whether they are able to build an extra classroom. Many schools are taking that option, which is encouraging. Unfortunately, there will always be a need for these buildings in order to provide extra space until new buildings are built.

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