Structural issues force closure of two more schools

TWO further Dublin schools have been shut down as a result of structural problems discovered in the fabric of the buildings.

The schools are Tyrrelstown Educate Together and St Luke’s National School in Mulhuddart.

The decision to shut the two schools will affect more than 1,200 children.

Structural engineers examined the schools yesterday after flaws were found in the walls of Ardgillan Community College in Balbriggan, north, Dublin, on Friday.

The schools are among more than 30 built in the past ten years by Tyrone-based company Western Building Systems.

The two west Dublin schools will not open to pupils today.

Tyrrelstown Educate Together was built just seven years ago, in 2011.

The Department of Education told RTÉ it has initiated legal proceedings against WBS because of structural problems in four schools.

On Friday, engineers carrying out fire remediation work at Ardgillan discovered ties that fix the exterior walls to interior walls were inadequate and a a section of the school building was closed immediately.

The Department has now decided to examine the structure of all school buildings built by WBS between 2008 and 2013. It told RTÉ News that priority would be given to schools built by the company in 2008 and 2009.

These were so-called ‘rapid-build’ modular schools to meet an acute school shortage. All of the 32 schools have already had fire-safety assessments carried out over the past year on foot of fire-safety breaches were discovered in six schools built by WBS. One school built by WBS in 2008 is due to be demolished shortly.

Just last year, the construction firm was building six schools for the State and is currently building one. In a statement to RTÉ last night, WBS said it was in discussion with the Department of Education ‘to better understand the issues which have arisen and to work to resolve them’.