Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 September 2021
627. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education if she will provide reassurance to parents of children who are returning back to school settings that adequate Covid-19 safety measures are provided including air monitors in classrooms and regulation of ventilation and air filtration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42899/21]
View answerManaging ventilation is just one of a suite of public health measures in place to keep our schools safe. Updated guidance for schools on Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools was provided at the end of May following the work of an expert group that carefully considered the role of ventilation in managing COVID-19.
A link to the published guidance and the associated background information is available at:
- https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/ad236-guidance-on-ventilation-in-schools/
- https://www.gov.ie/ga/foilsiuchan/aerala-i-scoileanna/
The over-arching approach in the guidance is for schools to have windows open as fully as possible when classrooms are not in use (e.g. during break-times or lunch-times and also at the end of each school day) and partially open when classrooms are in use.
The guidance outlines that Carbon Dioxide (CO2) monitors can play a part in providing a useful general indication that areas/rooms may not be adequately ventilated. They can enable occupants to become familiar with the impacts of activities, outdoor weather and window openings on levels of good ventilation.
The Department procured a sufficient number of portable CO2 monitors, to ensure that CO2 monitors will be available for use in every classroom in the country, at an estimated overall cost of €4m.
Deliveries of CO2 monitors to schools commenced in the third week of August and are expected to be completed by mid-September. In total, it involves over 35,000 CO2 monitors being distributed to primary and post-primary schools.
As of the 7th of September 16,200 units have been delivered to schools across the country. The target remains to have all monitors delivered by the middle of September.
