Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 132: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the number of prefabricated structures currently in use at primary and second level schools on a county basis here; the number of such structures put in place in each of the past three years to date in 2010; the cost involved in each case; the extent to which consideration is being given to the provision of permanent structures to replace such buildings in the current and future years with particular reference to the need to alleviate overcrowding, excessive class sizes and poor pupil-teacher ratios; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33613/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I set out below for the Deputies information:

Table (A) outlining the number of rented prefabs in place in 2010, and those that were in place in 2009 in primary and post primary schools and the annual rental costs involved on a county by county basis. The information for 2008 is not readily available.

Table (B) outlining prefabricated structures purchased for schools since 2008 and the costs involved on a county by county basis. My Department does not currently hold information on purchased prefabs in situ in schools pre 2008. A new inventory of accommodation, both temporary and permanent, has gone live on the Esinet portal and data collection has commenced. The data obtained will supplement the information held on the Department's existing databases, particularly with regard to purchased prefabricated accommodation that was in place prior to January 2008 and create a more complete picture of the use of prefabricated accommodation in schools.

Table (C) outlining the number of rented prefabs sanctioned for each of the past 3 years. Please note that numbers of prefabs listed refer to prefabricated "units" and may consist of one or more classrooms.

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.

With regard to consideration being given to the provision of permanent structures to replace such buildings, a change in policy implemented by my Department is to provide devolved grant aid for the purchase (rather than rental) of additional 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 devolved grant aid for additional accommodation the option to use their capital grant aid to build a permanent classroom(s) rather than purchase a prefab. These policies will reduce the usage of prefabricated accommodation and, particularly, the incidence of long-term rental of prefabs.

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 is well under way and 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.