Educate Together welcomes the publication of a tender notice on the Government’s e-tender site to commission Fire Safety Audits for schools built under the Rapid Build Programme.
Following a Fire Safety Audit commissioned by Educate Together in June 2014, the Department of Education and Skills agreed to carry out extensive remedial work on Rush/Lusk Educate Together National School. This was carried out in the summer of that year. The Department then undertook to commission its own Fire Safety Audits on several similar schools. Educate Together has received assurances from the DES that their technical assessments have not indicated safety concerns at the schools and that any remedial work indicated has now been carried out.
Despite numerous requests, the Fire Safety Consultants reports have not been made available to Educate Together, or to the Boards of Management of the schools. The publication of these reports and greater transparency from the Department on such matters is welcome.
Please note that it is the Department of Education and Skills that is responsible for overseeing the construction of such school buildings.
