Calls for Department to replace outdated prefab classrooms in Clondalkin School

A LOCAL primary school is being forced to use prefab classrooms that have been condemned.

People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny says he has called on the Department of Education to provide funding to upgrade and replace prefab classrooms in St Ronan’s National School, Clondalkin.

He said that the conditions that the children are being forced to put up with are “a disgrace and a danger to these children’s health and safety”.

Local public representatives have been contacted in recent weeks by parents of children who attend the school.

Deputy Kenny (pictured above) also pointed out that it was “shocking” that the Department had not provided funding to have the classrooms upgraded.

In March of this year he raised this issue in the Dáil and has submitted questions to the Dept of Education.

The school has 13 prefab classrooms that need to be replaced as they are between 14 and 34 years old and are in completely unsuitable condition for children to go to school in.

All 13 of the prefab classrooms were condemned in a specially commissioned report by the school.

There are numerous issues with the conditions of the classrooms.

For example, in November 2021, there was an electrical fire in one of the classrooms.

The school say that each of the 13 classrooms are at risk of fire.

The school have also said that in the winter the classrooms are extremely cold with temperatures reaching 4 degrees with the heating on during a cold spell.

The board of management had applied to have the double prefab replaced under emergency works.

This was refused on cost grounds, the school say.

The school is DEIS Band 1. Most of the pupils come from disadvantaged backgrounds from the local area which has a lot of social problems. For around 60% of the students English is not their first language, and over 50 of the children are members of the Traveller Community.

Gino Kenny TD told Southside People he cannot understand why the Department, and Minister for Education, have allowed the problems with the classrooms escalate.

“The situation at St Ronan’s NS in Clondalkin is unacceptable,” he said.

“The conditions that these children and staff are forced to put up with at this school is not conducive to proper health and safety standards.

“I cannot understand how the Department of Education and the Minister for Education have allowed these conditions to persist.

“I am calling on the Department and the Minister to step in and have these prefabs replaced without delay.”

In response to an enquiry from Southside People regarding if/when the prefabs will be replaced, The Department of Education gave us the following response:

“An application was received from St. Ronan’s National School, Clondalkin for the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme. “The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year and where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.

“Due to the complexities involved, the application was considered by the Department’s Professional and Technical Section to determine the best method of delivery for the additional accommodation identified. Officials have been in contact with the school in relation to this proposal and the offer of accommodation is being considered by the school authorities.”