Concern and frustration at delay in supplying prefab classrooms to schools

School principals are concerned about a delay in providing prefabs for students. It coincides with concerns about whether there will be enough school places — at primary and second level — to meet the demands posed by a growing population in County Kildare.
Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board official Emer Roy said Brexit, coronavirus restrictions and normal procurement delays meant that the construction of some prefabs has been delayed.
Separately, Kildare County Council wants plans put in place to ensure there are sufficient school places available. According to Cllr Noel Heavey, there is a shortage of 70 secondary places in Newbridge alone.

Delays in supplying prefab buildings to KWETB schools is being blamed on Covid-19, Brexit and general supply chain issues.
A board meeting of the statutory body heard on July 6 that every effort is being made with the Department of Education and suppliers to ensure principals have sufficient classroom spaces for September.
KWETB CEO Dr Deirdre Keyes said that the Department usually has a fast-track system for modular accommodation and that planning permission is not required for smaller extensions.
She added: “Our principals are so solution focused and so positive coming to this.

Solutions

“We're meeting them regularly — they're disheartened but they're working on solutions and what they might have to do.”
Board member Stephen Horan said there was a lot of frustration at the delays in installing prefabs at schools.
He said: “Lidl can put up a building in a matter of months from the start because they have one built to fit the space.”
He added: “Maybe we should contact IKEA and get flack pack prefabs. The mind boggles.
“Flatpack buildings have been put in place in other countries.”

Issues

Head of Corporate Services, Emer Roy commented that a number of issues out of the KWETB’s control was impacting on the supply of prefabs such as Covid-19, Brexit as well as official procurement procedures.
She said: “In a non-Covid year, you’d still be talking about an elongated process.
“If there wasn’t a supply issue, we would still have a process issue.
“If you throw in Covid, if you throw in Brexit, if you throw in a steel shortage, that’s all making it worse.
Ms Roy also pointed out that there is a limited pool of suppliers who are “completely swamped”.
She added: “My heart goes out to the principals who have been involved in this process over the past year.”

Joined-up thinking

Meanwhile Sinn Féin TD Patricia Ryan said in the Dáil last week that she has contacted by parents who do not know what school their child will attend in September.
She added: “This is Third World stuff. We are living in one of the richest countries in the world. We need joined-up thinking and a plan for the population growth we are experiencing.
“Monasterevin has waited 20 years for a new secondary school. I am delighted to note it is in progress but I am afraid it will be above capacity when completed.
“A new build for Coláiste Íosagáin in Portarlington is at preliminary design stage. Newbridge and Kildare town need new schools as well. The wheels are moving too slowly and urgent action is needed to prevent a looming crisis.”

Meanwhile, a Council meeting was told there is a shortage of school places — at primary and second level — in County Kildare.

A move to have Kildare County Council meet on a monthly basis with the Department of Education has been rebuffed by the department — KCC official Mairéad Hunt said the Department cannot commit to regular monthly meetings.

Cllr Suzanne Doyle sought to have the meetings restored and told a KCC meeting on that these are needed “to support and monitor the delivery of school places across the county”. She said school places should be available before people move into an area. In Monasterevin people have waited for 20 years for a primary and post primary school, said Cllr Kevin Duffy. “We need to be well ahead of the curve and we haven't been for the last decade,” he said.
Cllr Fintan Brett said there is a need to provide a swimming pool as part of school projects being undertaken in areas where a pool doesn’t exist. He also said there is scope for school premises and facilities to be used by the whole community.
“Schools are funded by the taxpayer and are only open for a few hours a day,” he said.
Cllr Noel Heavey said there is a shortage of 70 second level school places in Newbridge and that it is obvious that places are needed.
“We know it’s been coming for years,” he added.
Noting that two separate primary school projects are underway in the Naas area providing 26 places for girls and 16 for boys, Cllr Bill Clear said that primary school should be
co-educational.
KCC chief executive Peter Carey said that KCC has historically been very proactive with the department and he added that there is pressure on school places in County Kildare because of the population growth.

A school principal said that Naas secondary schools can accommodate the vast majority of students moving from primary to secondary education.

However a small number of students in the Naas are as of now without a place in first year when the second level schools reopen in September.

Naas Community College principal Ciarán Keegan said that there is a waiting list of 50 students seeking a place in the Craddockstown Road school.

Secured

However it is not clear how many of these will have secured places in other schools by the time the academic year starts.
“We will have 120 first year students this year but this will increase to 180 when we move into the new school building,” said Mr Keegan.
NCC, which will have 650 students on the roll book come September, is due to relocate to a brand new facility which is under construction at Millennium Park and will open before the end of the year.
It is also known that the Department of Education and Science asked NCC to consider opening another classroom to deal with the expected influx of students, but this request was later withdrawn by the department on the basis that there is sufficient capacity inthe town.
“However some parents may disagree with this,” added Mr Keegan.
There will be 192 students coming into the all girls St Mary’s College in September.

Co-operation
Principal Mark Dowling said that while there were up to 70 students without a place in Naas earlier this year, this has reduced substantially following meeting and cooperation between the school principals as well as parents.
In most cases students are graduating from primary school but a number of families have returned to Naas area having spent some time working abroad.
Mr Dowling believes that while not every student will get a place in their preferred school, there are sufficient places to accommodate everyone.