Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 54: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the amount spent since 2000 on the provision and refurbishment of prefabricated buildings at primary and secondary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7903/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Since the beginning of 2000 my Department has spent €74,300,212 on the purchase of prefabricated buildings in the primary and post-primary sectors. This expenditure was for the supply and installation of the prefabricated buildings, including associated site works, and other costs such as for compliance with planning permission conditions, professional fees, connections for water, electricity and sewage.

The breakdown of this expenditure ranges from approximately €4.5 million in 2000, increasing to €770,310 to date in 2005. The figure of €74 million constitutes less than 5% of total expenditure on school buildings between 2000 and 2004. The total spent on primary and post-primary school buildings, including public private partnership projects at second level, is €1.6 billion.

Demand for additional accommodation in schools has risen significantly in recent years, mainly due to the rapid expansion in teacher numbers, particularly in the area of special needs, the growth in the school-going population in rapidly developing areas and demands to cater for diversity through the recognition of new Gaelscoileanna and Educate Together schools.

The focus within my Department is to empower schools to resolve their accommodation needs, wherever possible, in a permanent manner rather than relying on temporary accommodation. To reduce the amount of temporary accommodation at primary level an initiative was launched in 2003, the purpose of which is to allow primary schools to undertake a permanent solution to their classroom accommodation needs and to achieve the best value for money. The feedback from the 20 schools in the pilot was positive and the initiative was expanded to include 44 additional primary schools in 2004. More than 70 schools have been invited to participate in the initiative in 2005.

My Department has also used other innovative solutions to deliver urgently required permanent accommodation for schools in rapidly developing areas. An example of this is the new 16 classroom primary school for Griffeen Valley Educate Together national school in Lucan, which was delivered through the use of a design and build contract within 13 months.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the initiative introduced in 2003 as a major step forward. I also accept that prefabricated buildings or temporary accommodation as the Minister and her predecessor prefer to call them are necessary in some instances. Does she accept, however, that €74 million is a considerable amount to spend on buildings which, by their nature, are temporary and that this money could be put to better use?

The initiative worked well in certain places but will not work in areas of major population growth where the scale of a project may be too large for a school to be able to complete it on its own. This type of process may not be appropriate for large developments. How does the Minister intend to deal with difficulties of this nature?

The provision of prefabricated buildings is a short-term measure. For example, St. Corban's primary school in Naas welcomed the recent allocation of another prefabricated building because it is desperate. How many schools could have been built if we decided not to use this sticking plaster approach?

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The priority must be to ensure there is space for the children. Prefabs are not a long-term solution. However, a school or an extra classroom cannot be built between now and September. This is why prefabs are provided in ensuring places for children.

Another reason for so much temporary accommodation is the increase in the number of primary teachers from 22,095 in September 2000 to 25,959. With these extra teachers, including resource and learning support teachers, applications to the Department for extra space to accommodate them have risen.

The Deputy referred to Naas as a developing area. Lucan, Ratoath and Kinnegad are also developing areas that have contributed to increased demand for temporary accommodation. There are also start-up schools awaiting building programmes. In the last four years, ten new gaelscoileanna and 16 Educate Together schools have been established. Many of them are in temporary accommodation awaiting new school buildings.

Our main aim is to ensure children do not spend too long in temporary accommodation. Schemes such as the permanent initiative and giving schools the funds to build extra classrooms are working successfully. Securing sites for the provision of full schools will alleviate this in the future. Unfortunately, we will not be able to say there will never be prefabs because there must be place to accommodate children.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Following from the reply to Question No. 51, will the Minister consider tabling an amendment to the Planning and Development Act 2000 to require developers to provide properly fitted school buildings, free of charge, in housing developments over a certain size? This would be similar to the strategic development zones such as Adamstown. Such an amendment would make an impact in the provision of school places. What progress has been made on multi-use modular school buildings? The needs of a growing primary school population could be extended into second level school provision in time while providing sports and community facilities at the same time.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am interested in examining development plans and looking at how school sites can be made available. It pains me to have to pay so much for some sites, particularly in the greater Dublin area. However, it must be acknowledged that many of the sites are private personal property. It is an issue that will arise in other Departments in the next several years. An individual's personal property cannot be taken from him or her for whatever use, as there are constitutional issues involved. I am looking for any process to alleviate the problems, particularly in the new growth areas.

The idea of an education campus is positive, particularly with the sharing of sporting and community facilities. A whole culture of education can be created around an education campus, which can then be opened to adults. However, such a scheme is much easier for a new community to develop than an existing one. We are examining this system where lands are available.