Children had a narrow escape yesterday when part of a roof collapsed in a primary school classroom. The accident happened during classes at St Nessan's national school in Mungret, Limerick.
Two sections of plaster board and masonry fell in on second-class pupils in one of the school's pre-fab buildings.
Twenty-seven students and a teacher were in class at the time. "We're very lucky that no one was seriously injured, although the students and the teacher were extremely shocked," said staff member Mr Gerry O'Sullivan.
A total of 730 pupils attend the national school; 180 are housed in six pre-fab classrooms which have been in use since 1997.
One parent said last night: "Before the last general election we were promised that the pre-fab buildings would be replaced. The appropriate planning permission was secured but the Government then refused to provide the funding they had promised."