Schools warned over major health and safety risks [Independent.ie]
- Published: 07 November 2010
SEVEN schools have been served with enforcement notices because of the health-and-safety risks posed to staff and pupils.
Five primary schools have been served with improvement notices by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) since 2009. Two secondary schools received prohibition notices that put certain areas of the buildings out of bounds to both students and teachers.
The HSA has refused to identify the seven schools. But the fact that the statutory agency has taken enforcement action indicates there were serious health-and-safety risks.
The news will further embarrass the Minister for Education, Mary Coughlan, after last week's disclosure that up to €340m which had been earmarked for dilapidated school buildings this year remains unspent. That revelation prompted protests from several school principals who cited rat infestations, sewerage odours and damp as amongst the dangerous conditions that have been endured by pupils for years.
Some of the worst affected schools are Gaelscoileanna, many of which are housed in prefabs while awaiting funds to build permanent schools.
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