The Irish Examiner, who broke the story this week about fire safety issues at a Dublin school, has today revealed that the firm that built the Educate Together school in North County Dublin also constructed at least 25 schools around Ireland, and some of these schools are now up for safety review by the Dept of Education.

The company, Western Building Systems based in Tyrone, built the schools as part of the ‘rapid build programme’ to provide short term solutions to the shortage of schools crisis back in 2008.

However, after the the financial crash long term solutions for schools were put on hold and many of these types of short term buildings became permanent locations for schools

According to the Irish Examiner, back in 2014 the Educate Together school in Lusk needed extensive fire safety issues addressed after a review by Dublin Fire Brigade which cost €800,000.

The Irish Examiner reports today that the Lusk controversy has prompted the Dept of Education to review five other schools built in this period immediately as they were 'similarly built" by the same firm.

The five schools involved are Scoil Naomh Lucais in Tyrrellstown, Dublin (built in 2008); Belmayne Educate Together in Dublin (2008); Greystones Educate Together/Gaeolscoil na gCloch Liath in Dublin (2008); Mullingar Educate Together in Westmeath (2008); and Ardgillan Community College in Balbriggan, Dublin.

Speaking on Newstalk radio yesterday, the Minister said "There were five other schools that were built at the time in the same kind of processes. So we are inspecting those schools - we have no reason to believe that problem exists there, but we're going to inspect them to make sure "

The Irish Examiner today provides a full list of schools built by Western Building Systems and the paper is awaiting a response from the firm regarding these issues.

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