Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 1081: To ask the Minister for Education and Science, further to Parliamentary Question No. 476 of 17 February 2009, the expenditure by his Department on grants in respect of the purchase of prefabricated buildings in the past three years, per county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11797/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The information sought regarding expenditure by my Department on the purchase of prefabricated accommodation will be compiled and sent on to the Deputy shortly.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 1082: To ask the Minister for Education and Science, further to Parliamentary Question No. 476 of 17 February 2009, the duration that these schools are renting prefabs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11798/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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A copy of a table listing schools renting prefabricated accommodation in Co. Clare follows. The table includes the start dates of rental contracts for all schools listed.

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.