A SOUTHSIDE TD has demanded urgent action to address the level of structural defects in schools across the State.
Last week, Minister for Education and Skills,Joe McHugh, provided an update on the remediation programme for 40 schools constructed by Western Building Systems (WBS).
Some 22 schools were included in the first phase of the programme over the course of the school summer holidays, with permanent engineering solutions designed for each school.
This structural remediation work has been carried out in 14 of these 22 schools over the last six to seven weeks. This enables the precautionary measures in these schools to be removed as the work is completed.
Structural remediation work in the remaining eight schools is due to commence later this year.
Planned fire safety remediation works were carried out in these eight schools during the summer. This fire safety remediation programme will progress to the 14 schools which have undergone structural remediation.
On the Southside, Dublin South West TD, Seán Crowe (SF), said no school should have to lose days due to inadequate building standards.
The Sinn Féin TD spoke out after it emerged that engineers had identified structural flaws in 17 more school buildings, including three in Dublin South West – Scoil Aoife Community National School (Citywest); Gaelscoil na Giúise in Firhouse; and Firhouse Educate Together.
“These schools require temporary works to be carried out in coming weeks in order to ensure that they are safe for pupils and staff to return to in September,” Deputy Seán Crowe said.
“The priority in all of these instances needs to be the safety and welfare of children, staff and the wider school community.
“This appears to be an escalating problem, with schools which had previously passed an initial examination now having structural defects discovered, and it is a cause of huge concern.
“Engineers have identified structural flaws in 17 additional school buildings, including the three in Dublin South West.
“This is on top of the 22 schools that were last year found to have serious structural defects, includ-ing Scoil Chaitlín Maude in Tallaght.”
Deputy Crowe added: “It is quite extraordinary that some of these schools that were completed as recently as 2016 and 2017, and even last year, are defective.
“The Department and Western Building Solutions need to tell us if they feel there is any possibility that any further defects will be found in any other recently built school.
Minister McHugh said last week that good progress is being made on the programme for remediation works in the schools.
“I want to thank the principals, patrons, boards of management, teachers, parents and pupils in these schools,” he said.
“It is with their support and cooperation while the work is carried out that we can restore their schools to normality.”