OPW closes prefabs after school ceiling collapse

The Office of Public Works (OPW) has told all pupils taught in prefabs at a Limerick primary school to stay at home until a detailed examination of the buildings is completed.

The OPW said a technical assessment of whether the buildings could be fixed or are beyond repair will continue this weekend.

Second class pupils had a lucky escape when two plaster ceiling tiles fell from the roof of St Nessan's National School in Mungret, Co Limerick, hitting two eight-year-olds yesterday. No one was injured in the incident.

An officer from the OPW inspected the prefabs this morning and said a full inspection has to be carried out before classes can resume.

The 139 pupils who are taught in prefabs at the school were accommodated in the school hall today. However, a spokeswoman for the school said this was an emergency measure and could not be used for the remaining two weeks of term.

She added that although the Department of Education had promised funds to repair the damaged prefab the school would remain in "Band Two" of the school building programme. This means St Nessan's is not on the priority list and will have to wait years for five new classrooms to replace its prefabs.

The school principal, Mr Steven Cahill, described the incident. "Two plaster boards approximately four feet [square] fell from the ceiling, hitting two children. Fortunately there was no one seriously hurt. One child had his hand up answering a question and that protected his head from one of the plaster boards."

Mr Cahill said the school had been promised that the five prefabs in the school would be replaced in February 2001 by a €2 million investment in new classrooms.

Minister of State at the Department of Health, Mr Tim O'Malley, said he would be meeting the Tánaiste to discuss the situation later today.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1, Mr O'Malley said: "The prefabs are totally unsuitable. There is no doubt that they wouldn't pass safety standards".

But there was criticism from Labour Limerick TD Ms Jan O'Sullivan who said the unfilled funding programme was another example of broken promises and arrogance from the Fianna Fáil/PD Government.

"Parents and teachers heard them [the funding promises] in good faith, believed what they were told and promises were broken," she said.