Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 582: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if funding will be granted to replace a prefab at a school (details supplied) in County Mayo. [7590/10]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm to the Deputy that the Department grant-aids the provision of temporary accommodation in respect of schools requiring interim accommodation to cater for additional staffing allocations while awaiting the provision of permanent accommodation.

The school to which the Deputy refers applied for the replacement of existing prefabs with new prefabs in April 2009. Unfortunately, the school's application was not successful as it was considered that the school had sufficient accommodation to meet its needs at that time. The school appealed the decision and the original decision was upheld.

In the context of the numbers of applications for temporary accommodation received and the funding available, it is considered that the priority must be in providing additional accommodation to schools that have a deficit of accommodation.