Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 176: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a list of primary and post primary schools in County Kerry with prefabricated units that are waiting to be replaced by permanent buildings; the criteria that was applied by his Department and the building programme unit in deciding on the qualification of the recent extensive replacement programme of prefabricated units in schools in many other counties; if he will carry out a review and investigation of the situation in the schools in County Kerry, most of whom are deficient and inferior in structure with a view to including the most substandard of these units that need replacement on an urgent building programme in the short term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22940/12]

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 181: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the initial building cost and siting cost of existing prefabricated buildings in primary and secondary schools in County Kerry; the total maintenance cost per year of these prefabricated units; the number of these units that are in a deteriorated state and in need of substantial upgrading to meet the requirement of health and safety standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22966/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 and 181 together.

My Department does not hold information centrally on purchased prefabs previous to 2008. Since 2008 14 mainstream prefabs classrooms have been purchased by schools in Co Kerry. For the Deputy's information, I am supplying two tables relating to rented prefabs in schools in Co. Kerry. Table 1 provides details of schools currently renting prefabs. Table 2 provides details of schools that have been selected for consideration under the Department's rented prefab replacement imitative.

The criteria used by my Department to select schools for consideration were:

· Prefabs must be rented for a minimum period and be required for the long term i.e. any major project for the school is unlikely to be completed in the short to medium term or if it is, construction of the new classrooms will not hinder the extension and will reduce the scope of works required

· School site must be sufficiently large to accommodate construction of permanent build while continuing to use rented prefabs and that site must not be rented

· Permanent accommodation should be stand alone.

The average rental cost for one mainstream classroom unit currently stands at c. €14k per annum with site works costing an average €22,000. The cost of site works will vary from school to school, depending on site conditions at each school. Responsibility for maintenance of rented prefab and ensuring that rented accommodation meets the requirements of health and safety standards lies with the prefab provider and the Board of Management in the case of purchased prefabs.

In relation to the provision of additional accommodation generally 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. An amount of €100,000.00 (inclusive of VAT and Fees) per mainstream classroom is provided under this Scheme.

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 177: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will replace the substandard and hazardous prefabricated building at a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22942/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I can confirm that correspondence has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy regarding the need for improved accommodation. Officials from my Department will be in further contact with the school authorities regarding the matter.