77 schools around the country have been given the green light to replace rented prefabs with permanent classrooms.
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., announced the first round of approvals for schools in an initiative to replace rented prefabs with permanent accommodation.
The 77 schools can now proceed with construction of the new buildings.
This round of funding will result in a total of 94 mainstream classrooms and 57 resource teaching/learning support rooms being built.
Today’s announcement is valued at more than €14 million, and is part of a €35 million initiative aimed at replacing one third of all rented prefabs in 2012.
Alongside the 77 schools who have been approved, the Department of Education & Skills is considering a further 110 schools in this scheme to replace prefabs.
Those schools are expected to be approved in coming weeks in the biggest ever initiative to replace rented prefabs in schools.
Minister Quinn said, “Too many of our children and young people spend their school days in rented prefabs. I am delighted that we are now making progress on our Programme for Government commitment to phase out the inefficient renting of prefabs.”
“As a result of this €35 million programme approximately 6,000 pupils will move from prefabs into permanent classrooms and resource rooms.”
The scheme will also create an estimated 700 direct and 140 indirect jobs, a welcome boost for the construction industry.
It will result in savings of approximately €5 million per annum on the rental of prefabs in these schools in coming years.
The prefab replacement initiative forms part of the Government’s €430 million education infrastructure plan for 2012.
This Plan will provide modern, high quality accommodation for pupils and teachers and construction related jobs for workers around the country.
Along with the School Building Programme, an estimated 3,250 direct and 650 indirect jobs will be created this year through the Government’s investment in education infrastructure.
list of schools