Audits at five schools over fire-safety fears

Immediate safety audits at five schools are to be carried out by the Department of Education following revelations earlier this week that a “similarly built” school developed by the same firm was discovered to be a serious fire safety hazard.

Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan confirmed she is “currently arranging” the safety checks on the facilities built by Western Building Systems, which has constructed 26 schools for the State since 2008, after the Irish Examiner revealed chronic problems with the Rush and Lusk Educate Together National School, which was built at the height of the boom.

As detailed earlier this week, Western Building Systems, from Coalisland, Dungannon, Co Tyrone, was given a contract by the department to build the 200-pupil, north county Dublin school in 2008 under the Government’s rapid-build school programme.