MORE THAN 200 schools across the country are spending over €100,000 annually renting prefab accommodation, according to figures released by the Department of Education.
A total of 210 schools have prefab rental costs of over €100,000 each year, and a further 184 schools are paying over €50,000 to lease temporary classroom accommodation from private companies.
The figures, provided in response to a parliamentary question from Fine Gael education spokesman Brian Hayes, show that 18 schools in 10 counties spent over €100,000 renting a single prefab unit.
“That as much as €100,000 would go on renting just one prefab unit can only be considered a farce,” Mr Hayes said. “Yet the Department of Education did just that in 18 schools.
“This waste of scarce taxpayers’ cash is not isolated to these 18 schools . . . 46 schools saw rental costs of over €50,000 for just one prefab.”
Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe had stated that €112 million had been spent on the rental of school prefabs between 2006 and 2008. It is expected that a further €48 million will be spent on rents this year.
The rental of prefabs is overseen on an individual basis by school boards of management, which are generally comprised of volunteers, parents or parish priests, and then paid for by the Department of Education.
Rental costs for the buildings can vary greatly and depend on rates offered by local rental companies.
Mr Hayes said he considered it unfair on boards of management to be involved in such negotiation.
“They are not project managers, and should not be expected to negotiate the best deal on these rentals.”
Mr Hayes said rents were falling across the country, and called on the department to engage with the suppliers of temporary accommodation on behalf of schools.
A Department of Education spokesman said a full review of the department’s approach to renting temporary accommodation was under way. The Government was to spend over €610 million on school buildings this year, which would create more than 20,000 new places for students.
