Written answers

Tuesday, 22 January 2013

Department of Education and Skills

School Accommodation

Photo of Kevin HumphreysKevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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138. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the rental of prefabs is centralised or devolved to an individual school or vocational educational committee; if he has examined the potential of making savings in the budget for renting or purchasing prefabs by centralising the process with a tender process or by other means; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2538/13]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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In general, the management authorities of schools are responsible for renting or purchasing prefabs. In current economic circumstances it is important that small and medium sized businesses are not hindered in competing for contracts that they are performing effectively and centralising the process would make it more difficult for these to compete.

In recent years the emphasis within my Department has been to reduce the reliance on prefabs. Schools being approved for devolved grant aid for additional accommodation are given the option to build a permanent classroom(s) rather than purchase a prefab. In 2012 from a total of 409 classrooms sanctioned, over 360 classrooms will be permanent builds.

Only 56 new rental contracts were approved last year. This compares to 266 approved in 2008 and 715 in 2007. In March of last year I also introduced a Prefab Replacement Initiative to assist schools in the removal of rented prefabs and to replace these with permanent structures.

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