Four of the prefabs at St Kevin’s Community College are almost 50 years old
Four prefabs in community college almost 50 years old ‘falling to bits’
There are calls for prefab classrooms at a community college to be replaced due to their age.
According to past pupil and Dublin Mid-West TD Mark Ward, the prefabs at St Kevin’s Community College have been in place for almost 50 years.
“There’s four prefabs that are over 50 years old,” the Sinn Fein TD told The Echo.
“And the reason I know they’re over 50 years old because 37 years ago, I used to be a pupil in that school and they’re the same prefabs,” he said.
“They’re falling to bits. I’ve aged in the last 37 years, but you can imagine how much these prefabs have aged in the last 37 years.”
He highlighted that entrance exams for prospective first year students were held in these prefabs, “not a great way to introduce any child into secondary education”.
Deputy Ward submitted a parliamentary question to Minister for Education and Youth Helen McEntee earlier this June, asking her to “if she will provide clarification on the four prefabs at [St Kevin’s Community College], when they will be replaced, as the school has informed me that they have not received any information from the Department regarding the replacement of prefabs, that they know nothing about any design team or issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter”.
In her reply, Minister McEntee confirmed that her department is in receipt of an application from St Kevin’s CC for the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme.
The ASA scheme exists to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, when the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation or at other schools in the area.
“I can confirm that the school’s application is being considered by my officials and they have been in contact with the school authority in relation to this application,” her reply said.
“I can assure the Deputy that the application will be progressed as soon as possible, and an official decision will issue to the school authorities directly.”
Deputy Ward said he welcomed the reply and the “little bit of movement” from the department.
“It’s down now to budgetary constraints in the next budget, that seems to be the issue at the moment,” he added.
