Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 505: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of school pupils in Ballinteer, Dublin south who are in temporary or prefabricated buildings; the schools in respect of the pupils concerned; the locations where temporary or prefabricated buildings are rented; the annual rent applicable in each case; the locations where such buildings were purchased; the date of purchase and the cost of same; if purchased or rented, the moneys spent on repair and refurbishment of such buildings since first used by the schools concerned; and the position with regard to the provision of the required permanent school building or buildings for the relevant schools. [33659/08]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 506: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of school pupils in Stepaside, Dublin south who are in temporary or prefabricated buildings; the schools in respect of the pupils concerned; the locations where temporary or prefabricated buildings are rented; the annual rent applicable in each case; the locations where such buildings were purchased; the date of purchase and the cost of same; if purchased or rented, the moneys spent on repair and refurbishment of such buildings since first used by the schools concerned; and the position with regard to the provision of the required permanent school building or buildings for the relevant schools. [33660/08]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 507: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of school pupils in Rathfarnham, Dublin south who are in temporary or prefabricated buildings; the schools in respect of the pupils concerned; the locations where temporary or prefabricated buildings are rented; the annual rent applicable in each case; the locations where such buildings were purchased; the date of purchase and the cost of same; if purchased or rented, the moneys spent on repair and refurbishment of such buildings since first used by the schools concerned; and the position with regard to the provision of the required permanent school building or buildings for the relevant schools. [33661/08]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 508: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of school pupils in Mount Merrion, Dublin south who are in temporary or prefabricated buildings; the schools in respect of the pupils concerned; the locations where temporary or prefabricated buildings are rented; the annual rent applicable in each case; the locations where such buildings were purchased; the date of purchase and the cost of same; if purchased or rented, the moneys spent on repair and refurbishment of such buildings since first used by the schools concerned; and the position with regard to the provision of the required permanent school building or buildings for the relevant schools. [33662/08]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 509: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of school pupils in Leopardstown, Dublin south who are in temporary or prefabricated buildings; the schools in respect of the pupils concerned; the locations where temporary or prefabricated buildings are rented; the annual rent applicable in each case; the locations where such buildings were purchased; the date of purchase and the cost of same; if purchased or rented, the moneys spent on repair and refurbishment of such buildings since first used by the schools concerned; and the position with regard to the provision of the required permanent school building or buildings for the relevant schools. [33663/08]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 510: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of school pupils in Knocklyon, Dublin south who are in temporary or prefabricated buildings; the schools in respect of the pupils concerned; the locations where temporary or prefabricated buildings are rented; the annual rent applicable in each case; the locations where such buildings were purchased; the date of purchase and the cost of same; if purchased or rented, the moneys spent on repair and refurbishment of such buildings since first used by the schools concerned; and the position with regard to the provision of the required permanent school building or buildings for the relevant schools. [33664/08]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 511: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of school pupils in Kilternan, Dublin south who are in temporary or prefabricated buildings; the schools in respect of the pupils concerned; the locations where temporary or prefabricated buildings are rented; the annual rent applicable in each case; the locations where such buildings were purchased; the date of purchase and the cost of same; if purchased or rented, the moneys spent on repair and refurbishment of such buildings since first used by the schools concerned; and the position with regard to the provision of the required permanent school building or buildings for the relevant schools. [33665/08]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 512: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of school pupils in Kilmacud, Dublin south who are in temporary or prefabricated buildings; the schools in respect of the pupils concerned; the locations where temporary or prefabricated buildings are rented; the annual rent applicable in each case; the locations where such buildings were purchased; the date of purchase and the cost of same; if purchased or rented, the moneys spent on repair and refurbishment of such buildings since first used by the schools concerned; and the position with regard to the provision of the required permanent school building or buildings for the relevant schools. [33666/08]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 513: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of school pupils in Glencullen, Dublin south who are in temporary or prefabricated buildings; the schools in respect of the pupils concerned; the locations where temporary or prefabricated buildings are rented; the annual rent applicable in each case; the locations where such buildings were purchased; the date of purchase and the cost of same; if purchased or rented, the moneys spent on repair and refurbishment of such buildings since first used by the schools concerned; and the position with regard to the provision of the required permanent school building or buildings for the relevant schools. [33667/08]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 514: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of school pupils in Foxrock, Dublin south who are in temporary or prefabricated buildings; the schools in respect of the pupils concerned; the locations where temporary or prefabricated buildings are rented; the annual rent applicable in each case; the locations where such buildings were purchased; the date of purchase and the cost of same; if purchased or rented, the moneys spent on repair and refurbishment of such buildings since first used by the schools concerned; and the position with regard to the provision of the required permanent school building or buildings for the relevant schools. [33668/08]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 515: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of school pupils in Dundrum, Dublin south who are in temporary or prefabricated buildings; the schools in respect of the pupils concerned; the locations where temporary or prefabricated buildings are rented; the annual rent applicable in each case; the locations where such buildings were purchased; the date of purchase and the cost of same; if purchased or rented, the moneys spent on repair and refurbishment of such buildings since first used by the schools concerned; and the position with regard to the provision of the required permanent school building or buildings for the relevant schools. [33669/08]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 516: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of school pupils in Clonskeagh, Dublin south who are in temporary or prefabricated buildings; the schools in respect of the pupils concerned; the locations where temporary or prefabricated buildings are rented; the annual rent applicable in each case; the locations where such buildings were purchased; the date of purchase and the cost of same; if purchased or rented, the moneys spent on repair and refurbishment of such buildings since first used by the schools concerned; and the position with regard to the provision of the required permanent school building or buildings for the relevant schools. [33670/08]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 517: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of school pupils in Stillorgan, Dublin south who are in temporary or prefabricated buildings; the schools in respect of the pupils concerned; the locations where temporary or prefabricated buildings are rented; the annual rent applicable in each case; the locations where such buildings were purchased; the date of purchase and the cost of same; if purchased or rented, the moneys spent on repair and refurbishment of such buildings since first used by the schools concerned; and the position with regard to the provision of the required permanent school building or buildings for the relevant schools. [33671/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 505 to 517, inclusive, together.

The demand for additional accommodation in schools has risen significantly over the last number of years, with the appointment of 6,000 extra teachers in the primary sector alone since 2002. In considering the need to provide extra resource and other teachers to schools in recent years, the Government could have decided to make children wait until permanent accommodation could be provided. However, we prioritised putting the extra teachers into schools as soon as possible and, in some cases, this has involved the provision of high-quality steel-framed prefabricated structures to accommodate them.

In general, my Department approves the purchase or rental of prefabricated classrooms based on need at the time of application. Local school managements then organise their class numbers, year on year, to achieve the optimum local efficiencies. My Department does not hold information on the numbers of pupils in individual schools who currently occupy temporary accommodation. It is not possible therefore, to provide the details based on pupil numbers requested by the Deputy.

My Department examines all applications for additional accommodation on an individual basis to determine if the need exists in the first instance. However, while comprehensive information on the provision of temporary accommodation is held on individual school files, my Department does not have a central database of those schools that are currently fully or partially accommodated in temporary or prefabricated accommodation.

My Department has surveyed almost 900 primary schools across the country regarding their use of rented prefabricated accommodation and is in the process of compiling this information. The information gathered will be used to produce a database of information on rented prefabricated accommodation which will be maintained on an ongoing basis and will inform my Department's future decision-making in this area. This work is well advanced and I anticipate it will be completed shortly.

With regard to repairs where temporary accommodation is rented, it would generally be the responsibility of the contractor to effect such repairs as are necessary from time to time. Where temporary accommodation has been purchased and is in need of repair or replacement, my Department would deal with such applications from schools on an individual basis as the need arises. This information is not held in a readily accessible aggregate form for the areas requested by the Deputy.

The Permanent Accommodation Scheme was introduced in 2003 to reduce the need for prefabs. It was designed to give value for money in terms of providing permanent accommodation in place of prefabs, where an accommodation need was likely to exist for a considerable length of time. Since its introduction, over €100m has been allocated to schools under the scheme and it has resulted in the provision of an additional 625 classrooms and 275 resource rooms in schools around the country. This is in addition to those classrooms provided under the major capital projects managed by my Department. Had the Permanent Accommodation Scheme not been in place, a very significant proportion of those classrooms and resource rooms would have had to be provided using temporary accommodation such as prefabricated classrooms.

In July of this year I introduced a further innovation which allows those schools with an urgent and pressing need for additional accommodation and who are being given approval for grant-aid to avail of the option of using their grants to purchase prefabs or to construct permanent classrooms for the same amount.

With regard to the progression of individual school building projects, the Deputy will be aware that the commencement and progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase is under consideration in the context of my Department's Multi-Annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.