Written answers

Wednesday, 29 September 2010

Department of Education and Science

School Accommodation

11:00 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 386: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which she intends to replace the current policy of utilising temporary or prefabricated structures to accommodate children at primary and second level with the provision of permanent structures thereby achieving a cost effective benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34013/10]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The overall policy goal of my Department is to ensure the highest standard of permanent accommodation for all schools. However, in the context of a rapidly increasing school population and competing pressure on the capital budget available to my Department, it is necessary to make use of temporary accommodation in order to meet the accommodation needs of schools. This temporary accommodation is suitable for use as classroom accommodation. It is important, when additional teacher posts are sanctioned by my Department, that schools are facilitated to appoint and accommodate them as soon as possible.

The policy of my Department on utilising temporary or prefabricated structures to accommodate students depends on a number of factors including:

Whether the school has permanent recognition or is provisionally recognised. Many schools, when first established, are given provisional recognition and only obtain permanent recognition when they have proved that they are viable.

If the need is deemed short term, the policy is generally to approve temporary rental of accommodation. For example, a school may require a temporary building while it is awaiting the completion of construction of a permanent building.

Immediacy of requirement. In some cases, a school needs accommodation at very short notice and this can only be provided through temporary or prefabricated accommodation, due to the length of time required to design, obtain statutory approvals and construct a permanent structure.

As the Deputy may be aware, where a need for additional accommodation is likely to exist for three years or more, it is my Department's practice to offer schools grant aid which can be used to construct a permanent structure, rather than using the grant aid to purchase or rent temporary accommodation.

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 387: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the total number of classes and children currently accommodated in temporary or prefabricated structures here in 2009, 2010 and her projections for 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34014/10]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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In general, my Department approves the purchase or rental of prefabricated classrooms based on need at the time of application. My Department does not hold information on the numbers of pupils in individual schools who currently occupy temporary accommodation, this depends on the organisation of class groups by the school management within available accommodation and may vary from year to year.

A change in policy that has been implemented by my Department is to grant aid the purchase (rather than rental) of temporary accommodation where the need for such accommodation is likely to exist for more than 3 years. Furthermore, since July 2008, it is also policy to offer schools being approved for grant aid for temporary accommodation the option to use their capital grant aid to build a permanent classroom(s) rather than purchase a prefab. These policies are reducing the usage of temporary accommodation and, particularly, the incidence of long term rental of prefabs.

In addition, my Department has engaged a specialist firm to develop new procedures and systems for the provision of temporary accommodation with a view to achieving best value for money. The review incorporates the development of standard specifications for temporary accommodation, the development of new contractual terms to incorporate buy-out and relocation options to cater for individual local circumstances and appropriately protect the interests of the Department and school authorities.

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