The State's over-reliance on prefabricated classrooms was raised at this month's meeting of Westmeath Vocational Education Committee (WVEC ), held this week in Castlepollard Community College.
After the Department of Education confirmed to his party's education spokesperson earlier in the week that it does not have a complete list of all primary and secondary schools using prefab buildings, Cllr Paul Hogan (SF ) felt this must be addressed at a local level.
In data collected from a sample of 900 schools there were 2,605 prefab units being used in the schools surveyed.
“It is outrageous that the Minister for Education does not know how many of our schools are using prefabricated units,” said Cllr Hogan after the meeting.
“Educating our children in prefabs is a problem. But how can this problem be solved if the Minister himself does not know the full extent of it?”
Over the last three years €113m has been spent on prefabs with a further €48m projected for this year.
According to the survey, in the Athlone area St Mary’s NS is currently renting a prefab, Coosan, Cornamaddy and Clonbonny national schools have each purchased one and rent one, while Tubberclair NS has purchased two and rents one.
Athlone Community College has recently purchased a prefab at a cost of €7,290 but is not included in the survey.
It is believed that in some instances the rent for these individual prefabs might surpass €10,000 per annum.
“It is becoming abundantly clear that a small number of firms are profiteering from our Government’s reluctance to build new classrooms,” said Cllr Hogan.
“These firms that lease out these prefabs are charging an astronomical price per annum and in some instances it would be cheaper to provide a permanent classroom.
“Prefabs are provided as a temporary measure and through Government inaction evolve into permanent fixtures.
“How exactly does Fianna Fáil intend to build a knowledge economy if it sees no benefit in investing in the most fundamental tools of early education such as school buildings and teacher pupil ratios?”
According to Cllr Hogan, Sinn Féin in government would frontload infrastructure projects such as a school building programme using monies from the National Pension Reserve Fund (NPRF ).
“Legislation is going through the Dáil and Seanad this week to pump €7bn of the Pension Reserve Fund monies into flailing banks. In government, Sinn Féin would use this money to properly invest in Ireland’s future.”
