A court hearing between the Department of Education and the Co-Tyrone based company that constructed a series of schools discovered to have fire and structural problems is to take place next month.

The Department of Education and Skills is suing a company over alleged defects in a €5m "rapid build" school which had to be closed for part of a term last year to allow temporary remedial works costing €1m to be carried out.

Five more schools built by Western Building Systems require remedial work, bringing the total number of schools with structural issues to 23, the Department of Education has confirmed.