Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

Officials in the Department of Education and Science discuss the overall allocation of current and capital expenditure with their counterparts in the Department of Finance in the context of the preparation of the annual Estimates. General discussions are normally held on the amount of funding allocated to the subhead from which payment for the rental of temporary accommodation for schools is made. However, no specific discussions have taken place about the borrowing of money by the Exchequer for the construction of permanent buildings in the manner referred to by the Deputy. Following concerns raised by the Committee of Public Accounts and the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Department of Education and Science recently examined its expenditure on the rental of temporary accommodation with a view to identifying the point at which the purchase of such accommodation provides better value for money. As a result of the review, the Department of Education and Science now has a policy of purchasing temporary accommodation when the need for it is likely to last more than three years. This change in policy will minimise the amount of money spent on the rental of accommodation.

The permanent accommodation scheme was introduced in 2003 to reduce the need for prefabricated classrooms. It was designed to ensure that value for money is a feature of the provision of permanent accommodation in place of prefabricated accommodation when it is decided that an accommodation need is likely to exist for a considerable length of time. Since the introduction of the scheme, more than €100 million has been allocated to schools. This expenditure has resulted in the provision of an additional 625 classrooms and 275 resource rooms in schools throughout the country. Such facilities have been provided in addition to the classrooms provided under the major capital projects managed by the Department of Education and Science. If the permanent accommodation scheme had not been in place, a significant proportion of the classrooms and resource rooms would have had to be provided using temporary accommodation such as prefabricated classrooms.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

It will continue to be necessary for prefabricated accommodation to be provided, as competing priorities mean it will not always be possible to put a permanent accommodation solution in place in a short timeframe. The Department of Education and Science will continue to provide funding for prefabricated accommodation. Decisions on whether to rent or purchase will depend on the length of time such accommodation is likely to be required. In all cases, the approach will be to ensure best value for money.

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