Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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457. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding prefabs in schools; the number of prefabs in use; the number of prefabs rented by his Department on behalf of schools; the identity of such schools by county; the age of such prefabs; the expected further life of such prefabs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38935/17]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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458. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the programme to phase out prefabs in schools and replace them with permanent buildings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38936/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 457 and 458 together.

Under the Department’s 6-year capital investment programme (2016-2021) and in accordance with the Programme for Government, a multi-annual funding provision of €180 million is being made available from 2019 to replace school prefabs with permanent accommodation. To enable this development, the Department will be carrying out an assessment of the number of prefabs being used in schools to deliver the curriculum and to determine whether or not individual prefabs need to be replaced in the context of the long-term accommodation needs of each school involved.

When the numbers and types of prefabs to be replaced have been identified by the Department, it will be possible to calculate a cost estimate of the number of units to be replaced taking into account that the outlay for replacing a prefab with a permanent building will vary from school to school depending on type and extent of prefab unit, planning conditions and other site specific costs. When completed, this assessment will quantify the number of prefabs that can be replaced within overall available funding.

I wish to advise the Deputy that the information sought in regard to rental prefabs is being compiled, and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible