Department rejects schools’ bids to rectify fire safety fears

More than half of all primary schools seeking state help to address serious fire safety concerns in the past three years had their requests rejected by the Department of Education.

In a formal Dáil response to Sinn Féin TD John Brady just weeks after the Government was forced to launch a nationwide probe into fire safety concerns in Celtic Tiger-era schools, Mr Bruton said that between 2015 and this year a total of 65 state-run primary schools requested extra funds to address fire safety problems in their facilities.

The schools, whose names have not been released, are based in 19 counties across the country, including six in Co Cork, 13 in Co Dublin, two in Co Limerick, three in Co Waterford, and seven in Co Donegal.

However, despite the belief from school authorities that the fire safety issues needed to be immediately addressed, 37 of the requests were rejected — representing 56% of the total number of calls for help made.

“It is extremely concerning that over half of all applications made for these crucial works have been rejected by the department,” Mr Brady said last night.

“Mr Bruton assured me his department takes the safety of children and teachers in schools ‘extremely seriously’. However, these figures tell a very different story.

“Schools are not applying to the department for funding specifically to address fire safety concerns unless there are, in the first instance fire safety concerns.

“This is a serious issue that needs to be addressed by Minister Bruton immediately.

“The health and safety of all children and teachers must be paramount.”

In a formal response to the figures, Mr Bruton said despite the situation his department “takes the safety of children, teachers and all those who work in schools extremely seriously” and suggested some of the requests may have been rejected because “the issue was not primarily a fire safety issue”.

Mr Bruton also referenced the recent launch of a Government audit of recently built schools in light of serious concerns surrounding a number of rapid-built units, first highlighted by the Irish Examiner two years ago.

The Department of Education has been heavily criticised over the situation, in part because of its refusal to release audits of schools known to be affected until the intervention of the information commissioner last month.