Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 30: To ask the Minister for Education and Science his views on allowing boards of management to re-direct funding from his Department which is used for renting prefabs to secure a mortgage in order to build permanent classrooms; his views on whether this would ultimately be a better use of taxpayers money and create employment at a time of deepening economic recession; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7935/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Almost €4.5bn has been allocated to the school building programme under the current National Development Plan (2007-2013). Value for money is a key criterion in the implementation of the school building programme and competitive tendering, in line with public procurement procedures, ensures that this is achieved. As I have indicated publicly, the current decline in activity in the construction industry is an opportunity for my Department to continue to pursue value for money in the procurement and construction of school buildings. Issues relating to the acceleration of the school building programme must have regard to current financial circumstances and cannot be considered in isolation.

As part of my Department's review of rental policy, it was determined that if prefabs are going to be required for more than 3 years, then purchasing them represents better value for money than renting them. Accordingly, a policy instruction was issued in 2008 to staff processing such requests to approve the purchase rather than the rental of prefabricated accommodation if a period of more than 3 years is envisaged. In July of 2008, I introduced a further innovation which allows those schools with an urgent and pressing need for additional accommodation which is likely to last for more than 3 years, and who are being given approval for grant aid, to avail of the option of using their grants either to purchase prefabs or to construct permanent classrooms for the same amount. This avoids the need for schools to borrow money to provide such accommodation.