Over €4m spent on school prefabs & rental of land since 2020.
MORE than €4.1 million has been spent on the rental of land and prefabs in County Clare since 2020.
Figures supplied by the Department of Education show that €4,120,753 was spent on the rental of prefabs and land in the county between 2020 and 2025. The Department also confirmed that there are currently 24 rental contracts in place in Clare, comprising 22 contracts for prefabs and two for land, serving nine schools across the county.
Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney said the figures highlight the need for a clearer picture of how long schools are relying on rented accommodation and what plans are in place to provide permanent facilities.
“While modular accommodation can be an effective solution where additional school places are urgently required, it is important that we have transparency around the extent of its use and the long-term plans for schools that are relying on these facilities,” Deputy Cooney said.
In a parliamentary reply, Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton confirmed that details on how long individual schools have been using rented accommodation are not readily available and will instead form part of a new strategic review of school rental accommodation being undertaken by her department.
Deputy Cooney said the review presents an opportunity to establish a clearer understanding of accommodation needs across the county.
“Taxpayers have spent more than €4 million on rented school accommodation in Clare over the past six years. It is important that we understand where that money is being spent, how long schools have been dependent on rented accommodation and what the pathway towards permanent solutions is, where required.”
Minister Naughton noted that modern modular accommodation differs significantly from the prefabs of previous decades. She said modular buildings delivered under the Department’s framework are designed to meet Near Zero Energy Building standards and have a design life of up to 60 years.
Deputy Cooney acknowledged the role that modern modular accommodation plays in providing additional school capacity but said investment in permanent school infrastructure must remain a priority.
“There are a number of schools in Clare that are relying on older types of prefab units. These are clearly unsuitable and well past their intended lifespan.
“The Government is making a significant investment in education infrastructure through the National Development Plan. We need to ensure that Clare schools benefit from that investment and that accommodation needs are addressed in a planned and sustainable way for the future,” he said.
