Monday, March 08, 2010
MANY primary schools are still dependent on renting prefabs to house students, Fine Gael claimed after publishing a breakdown of prefab use in the primary education system.
The figures show that 1,878 prefabs are being used by primary schools around the country, with the highest number being used in Dublin (319) and Cork (233).
However, other counties have a higher ratio of prefab pupils as a percentage of that county’s primary school population.
Co Meath has 135 prefabs, Co Galway has 154 prefabs and Co Kildare has 143 prefabs for some of its primary school pupils.
Other counties in the top ten were Clare, Louth. Wexford, Waterford, Wicklow, Mayo and Cork.
The figures, which indicate that the total expenditure on the prefabs was more than €25 million, were compiled by Fine Gael’s education spokesman Brian Hayes.
"We are spending over €100m on prefab provision in just three years while the amount of money spent in 2009 on temporary accommodation has reduced from 2008," he said.
"Unfortunately, in recent years the Government has missed opportunities to both reduce the spend on prefabs and radically increase the school building programme," he added.
Last month Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe said the number of rental contracts agreed for prefabs last year was cut to 20, compared with 266 the year before. €39m was spent renting prefabs last year, €14m less than the previous year.
© Examiner Publications (Cork) Limited, City Quarter, Lapps Quay, Cork. Registered in Ireland: 73385.