Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 635: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the schools at which he will spend the €48 million for prefab accommodation; if it is open to schools to apply; the procedure in relation to the application; the criteria for which it will be applied; the timeframe for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22250/09]

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 636: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the procedure if a school wished to place prefab accommodation on a new site; if this would require a new application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22251/09]

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 637: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the legal size of classrooms which must be supplied when there is prefab accommodation in schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22252/09]

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 638: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a school board of management can make an application for funding in respect of prefabs needed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22253/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 635 to 638, inclusive, together.

My Department estimates that approximately â'¬48m will be spent this year on the rental of school accommodation. The funding is to cover costs relating to continuing existing rentals and any new approvals for the next school year. It is too early at this stage to provide details of new school approvals for the coming year. Details of the schools currently renting temporary accommodation are given in the attached tabular statement.

Schools requiring additional temporary accommodation from next September must apply to my Department for approval. An application form can be downloaded for completion from my Departments website at www.education.ie. The school should indicate in a covering letter any particular issues involved such site issues. It should also demonstrate to my Department why the additional accommodation is required such as for increasing pupil numbers resulting in the appointment of an additional teacher etc.

A number of factors are taken into account in determining an appropriate size for a prefabricated primary school classroom such as curricular development, the pupil/teacher ratio and the fact that the number of pupils in a classroom may vary from year to year to take account of departing classes, and new enrolments. Generally it is the current practice of my Department to use a guideline of 80m2 as a standard size of general classroom. This is sufficiently large to comfortably cater for a class size in excess of 30 pupils. It should be stressed however that this is a guideline and it may not be possible or viable to achieve it particularly due to factors such as site constraints. It is also the case that where the accommodation is required for purposes other than as a general classroom the size of unit provided may vary.