€35 million initiative to replace rented prefabs with permanent classrooms in schools
The Minister for Education & Skills, Ruairí Quinn, TD, announced today, the biggest initiative ever undertaken to replace rented prefabs in schools.
This is not part of the five-year building programme, which will be announced in the coming weeks.
200 schools will be offered grants to build permanent accommodation this year – over a third of all schools who currently rent prefabs.
The funding will be used to replace prefabs that are used to provide resource rooms and classroom accommodation for an estimated 6,000 pupils.
A total of €35 million has been allocated for this initiative in 2012.
At the height of the economic boom the previous Government had a policy of renting prefabs in schools. 715 new rental contracts were agreed for primary schools in 2007 alone.
The result of this policy is that we have a legacy of rented prefabs in schools around the country.
The Programme for Government contains a commitment to reduce the reliance on rented prefabs in schools.
The new initiative will result in savings of approx €5m per annum on the rental of prefabs in these schools in the coming years and will result in the creation of an estimated 700 direct and 140 indirect jobs.
This new initiative forms part of the Government’s €430 million education infrastructure plan for 2012.
The Government’s investment in the School Building Programme this year, including the replacement of prefabs, will create an estimated 3,250 direct and 650 indirect jobs
The following schools in Cork South West will benefit from this initiative.
| County | Constituency | Roll | School | Address 1 | Address 2 | Address 3 |
| Cork | Cork South-West | 13375R | Scoil Bhríde | Cros Mhathúna | Bandon | Cork |
| Cork | Cork South-West | 17168J | SN Inis Eoghain | Innishannon | Cork | |
| Cork | Cork South-West | 18468D | St Mary’s NS | Castledonovan | Drimoleague | Cork |
