Tom Brabazon (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of prefabs. Will they be discussed at the Cabinet committee? I have serious concerns about prefabs being used as long-term or even medium-term solutions for education provision. For example, in Gaelcholáiste Reachrann in my constituency pupils and teachers have been left sitting in prefabs for over 24 years. The new school has been at planning stage 3 for at least 12 months and there does not seem to be any progress. It is very frustrating. Belmayne educate together is a brand new school which has opened up down the road from it. The latter school started life in prefabs but has moved into its new school building, which is great. There is now a proposal to open a special school in the prefabs on that site. The educate together school has a plan to create a sensory garden, basketball court and running track where the prefabs are to be located, even though there is capacity within the school. The educate together school itself deals with special education also, so the whole thing seems to be counterintuitive and mixed up. The entire policy needs to be dealt with in a holistic rather than a piecemeal and reactive way. Will the Taoiseach commit to visiting the two schools in early course to see for himself the issues being dealt with by people?

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