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Update 4.05pm: Serious Fire and Structural Safety Flaws have been uncovered by Celtic Tiger-era schools built by Western Building Systems as part of an ongoing urgent examination of 42 sites.
The Department of Education will continue to open the door to the future.
Last week, new Education Minister Joe McHugh has been confirmed to be an urgent structural review of all of the Western Building Systems properties.
Noting the fact that there was an 80% chance of it, Mr McHugh said the structural reviews were urgently needed.
The "urgent" reviews are published on the back of the fire safety report in still unpublished audits which are now forming part of evidence for legal cases.
These audits were launched after an October 2015 Irish Examiner exposes which revealed one school, Rush and Lusk Educate Together in north county Dublin, was warned by Dublin fire brigade and two architects reports the building would burn down in 20 minutes – far below the 60 minutes evacuate time.
While the Tyrone-based Western Building Systems has been established, the Department has been responsible for the establishment of multi-million dollar responsibility.
In a statement on Sunday afternoon, the Department said that 42 schools in danger, 21 have been badessed to date.
Of these:
- three have already been shut up for urgent repairs
- one more will undergo the same process
- two more will have to have protective measures put in place over the mid-term break
- nine results are still undergoing urgent badysis
- and just six have been given the all-clear
The latest school in the world is Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada in Lucan, which follows Tyrrelstown Educate Together, St Luke's National School in Tyrrelstown and Ardgillan National School – all of which are in Dublin.
Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada officials were told yesterday "an internal and external intervention is required to facilitate the re-opening of the area after the mid-term break," spokesperson said.
Two other schools were also made aware of the fact that they should be installed on parts of the buildings before they can re-open after the mid-term break of similar but still unstated safety fears.
They are Scoil Chaitlin Maude in Tallaght and the Castlemills Further Education Center in Balbriggan, both of which are in Dublin.
The Department says "further ongoing", but gives the all-clear to six other schools, namely:
- Luttrellstown Community College in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin
- Gaelscoil Shliabh Rua in Dublin
- Broombridge Educate Together in Dublin
- Scoil Choilm in Porterstown, Dublin
- Gaelscoil Thulach na nog in Dunboyne, Meath
- and Gaelscoil Teach Giuseppe in Firhouse, Dublin
All Western Building Systems sites are expected to have been fully examined by Tuesday.
Earlier: Structural Safety Assessments of seven schools carried out yesterday
The examinations have continued over the weekend in the school's controversial structure, including seven inspections which were conducted yesterday
The Department of Education says one school, Gaelscoil Thulach na nÓg in Dunboyne can reopen fully after the mid-term break.
In other words, it is necessary to have more badessment.
Structural issues have been identified at the Castlemills Education Center, Balbriggan and will be dealt with during the course of the mid-term break.
In total, 21 badessments of more than 40 schools by Western Building Systems were made out to date.
Digital Desk
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