It was recently announced that up to 40 schools are ‘at risk of closure’ due to concerns over structural safety.
The Minister for Education Joe McHugh announced that officials will be assessing the indicated buildings to determine if they are safe for students to occupy.
Until their evaluations are complete, the minister has stressed that the number one priority will be finding alternative, temporary accommodation for any schools affected.
Most of these school buildings were built under a fast-track “design and build” programme up until 2013, according to The Irish Times.
As of now, officials are trying their best to conclude building examinations before the end of mid-term break.
While Taoiseach Leo Varadkar claimed ‘corners were cut’ in construction during the Celtic Tiger, a spokesperson for the Western Building Systems said the school buildings were 'certified as meeting compliance standards'.
The building investigation started when two primary schools in west Dublin - Tyrrelstown Educate Together and St Luke's National School - were closed this week following structural checks, leaving 1,200 pupils at home.
Now, the Department of Education will be overseeing structural checks on 30 Western Building System schools, as well as an extension of checks to 40 schools.
The department aims to conduct structural examinations quickly and accurately, so that students will be able to return to their classrooms as soon as possible or be allocated alternative accommodation during reconstruction.
