A north Co Cork national school which was closed for three days last week due to a rat infestation was the scene of a protest by parents yesterday, who say a new premises needs to be built urgently.
Rahan national school near Mallow was forced to close from last Wednesday to Friday because rats had broken through the classrooms' rotting prefab floors.
The school's 91 students stayed at home yesterday as parents and management continued to express concern about health and safety.
The three prefabricated buildings at the school have been in operation for 23 years, and rats are digging their way through wood that has been rotting in part due to recent heavy rains.
School principal Jerry Lynch and the board of management called in pest control last week, and an inspector from the HSE deemed the school "rat-infested".
Yesterday, dozens of parents gathered at the school to voice their concerns.
Parent Tom O'Grady said it was time for the Department of Education to fast-track a new school, and the days for patching up the prefabs should be long gone.
"We have 23-year-old 'temporary' prefabricated buildings that are long past their sell-by date, and they are rotting from the outside in and the bottom up.
"Brown, hairy friends made it their home over the Christmas and the new year. When the parents met at the weekend we were angry.
"We are not angry at the teachers; we are not angry at the board of management. In the circumstances they have done the best they could, and the education our children are receiving is first class. However, these are intolerable conditions.
"The solution here is to get the red tape off our application for a school, which has been in place for many years."
Mr O'Grady said emergency accommodation was not a solution as parents and teachers did not want to disrupt their children's education.
The Department of Education has offered the school emergency funds for any renovations deemed necessary. In the short term this option will be taken to patch up the prefabs and make them rodent-proof.
The department is also considering providing emergency accommodation for teachers and pupils, and is processing an application from the school to build new premises.
An application for a new school was first made six years ago.