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RENTING PREFABS FOR primary and secondary schools cost the State €60.4 million over a three year period.
Following a parliamentary question from Labour TD for Dublin South East Kevin Humphreys, the Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn disclosed the number of prefabs being used in primary and secondary schools throughout the country.
There were 1,694 prefabricated units being rented at the end of March 2011 at a cost of €23.2 million in primary and post-primary schools. This number fell to 1,490 units being rented at the end of March 2012 at a cost of €19.7 million and 1,273 units being rented at end of March 2013 at a cost of €17.5 million.
That means, on average, a prefab costs around €13,500 a year to rent.
Although the cost of building a classroom varies from site to site, so far the construction of 55 classrooms has saved €1 million for the state.
Under the Department of Education’s 2012 Prefab Replacement Initiative, approval was given to 170 schools nationally to replace 458 prefab units with permanent accommodation. Around €42 million was allocated for this initiative of which €27.2 million has been paid to date.
Of these a total of 142 projects have gone to construction and 55 of these have been completed saving the state in the region of €1 million so far. The initiative will result in savings of around €5 million per year on the rental of prefabs in the coming years.
In June, Quinn announced a further Prefab Replacement Initiative to replace 115 prefabs in 46 schools with permanent accommodation. A total of €15 million was allocated and this further initiative will result in additional rental savings of €2.5 million per annum.
Quinn added that replacing prefabs is part of the government’s €475 million education infrastructure plan for 2014, which will provide “modern, high quality accommodation for pupils and teachers and construction related jobs for workers around the country”.
Deputy Humphreys told TheJournal.ie that replacing these prefabs with permanent classrooms is needed to ensure savings are being made.
“In the past the answer to the booming population was prefabs. Now the answer is to build classrooms. They are a long-term investment”.
God love her. Rip
We have lived through this. I want to try to say how anyone contemplating suicide has usually no idea of the tsunami of pain shock grief mental health troubles and huge expense follows for the family left behind.
If you cannot function and are in severe pain shame exhaustion – be a hero and ask for help. It is not an easy road but once you acknowledge you are powerless over this – you can take the pressure off yourself – seek help to rest and recover. Your Family would prefer this rather than lose you. Be a hero and stay here with us – please.
@Eddie G: Help isn’t always readily available. Tbh most of society doesn’t care about others. If you read most of the journal comments it’s quite clear
@Eddie G: excellent advice Eddie, well said.
@Diddles Daffy: that is not true . but when one is unwell the behaviour can antagonise others , push them away. Its not obvious to even the closest families when someone is severely unwell. In our experience a good GP us the best port of call. The public services can be tough but thats why it takes courage – if they manage to help with symtoms – the person gets a breather and the family gets a real chance to understand and support. And we deserve that chance.
@Eddie G: Well said Eddie. Great advice.
@Eddie G: i feel sorry for the lady who did not feel comfortable asking for help , maybe she did and no one listened . .Mental health is not easy and living with it is very difficult ,.I am saddened that you think that people who take there life have sense to understand the sadness and the questions it leaves family and friend’s behind , the brain , the ability to allow them to think that way stopped working that in there own head only see life in a very different way, the disease taking there own life . forcing them to believe its best for every one if they were not around … the mental chemicals that tell us that it will be ok are so mixed up that it goes the other way .as each of us are individuals the dose and time needed to get it correct to make them better he health service drs and all people who do help do there best sadly some never get that ..
to say its the persons fault is sadly wrong , that is like asking a car run on diesel to run on petrol from time to time , honestly its never going to work . you as family members friends you cannot know the pain that person goes through and how out of control of the mental illness takes , all you want to do is get better yet some time you only get short bursts of feeling great yet always fearing when it will end ,,at the same time trying to enjoy the brief times when you feel ok in your self …
the real hero is the person living with the disease . shame on you for not recognizing the real person in there suffering … Mental illness changes daily and over time .. best for every one is to learn more about the disease and treat the people , with a bit more respect and love . ….
Just terrible news for some one’s family and friends Rest in peace.
Jesus,that’s tough..but at least the family have a body ..may she rip.respect to the recovery team..great service in a horrible situation.
@Mark Hurson: The “University of Life” teaches all of us some very unpalatable facts and how to try to deal with them… Like when my sister-in-law, suffering severe post-natal depression, threw herself in front of a speeding bus in its fast bus lane in Dublin, killing herself. Like when my friend found his neighbour’s body underwater, pulled off that arm and all that followed for all involved in both events…
Life may not be happy-go-lucky for everybody but it’s still got to be lived, warts and all
@Canny Jem: Not everyone obviously shares your opinion. If someone is in agonising mental pain and not getting help. Maybe this feels like their only option
@Diddles Daffy: My reply was to Mark Huron who commented on a previous post I made, which has been deleted (which I’m glad was deleted. In hindsight I should never posted it, too graphic in content and possibly distressing to some readers. For once I thank the Journo’s editors for deleting it).
Your response above is out of context to my original post. But I agree, in great sadness, with your sentiments. I knew four people in my life who believed they has no other option.
today its best we all educate our selves about mental health and be more caring a society .the next time some one sits down for chat and is still complaining about the same thing they were talking or worried about last time you met , don’t switch off , listen and for once start to help that person with the situation and that may be having to spend time helping them to look at solutions they cannot see and they don’t know how to even start on be there commit the time and stay in touch don’t be selfish say its not your problem ,actually it is all our problem because we hear the call for help yet never recognize it … just because you are ok and life is good does not mean that some one very close is in same position , they are not , educate your self about suicide mental illness and stress then listen so you can help others
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