asked the Minister for Education if he is aware of the recent report indicating that the number of prefabs in vocational schools has doubled in the past decade and that the cost of replacing them is in the region of £16 million; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

20.

asked the Minister for Education the rationale in providing "prefabs" in schools in view of their short life and the expenditure involved which could otherwise have resulted in more permanent structures being provided and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I propose with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle to take Questions Nos. 19 and 20 together.

My Department do not favour the provision of temporary prefabricated classrooms in schools except in cases where their temporary supply is unavoidable if increased enrolments are to be catered for immediately.

A copy of the report referred to by the Deputy has only just been received in my Department, and I am not in a position to make a statement on the subject matter pending a full examination of its contents.

In the context of a cost benefit analysis, will the Minister agree that it has become possible to build relatively permanent type structures nearly as cheaply as prefabs and that therefore the raison d'être for building prefabs has fallen by the wayside in the context of modern building methods? Therefore, will he give an undertaking to the House that in future the concept of building cheap prefabs will not be continued even in the case of temporary urgent accommodation?

I agree with the Deputy that such structures no longer are regarded as acceptable and they will be used only in very exceptional circumstances.