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Thursday, 9 Sep 2021

Written Answers Nos. 601-620

Flexible Work Practices

Questions (617)

Dara Calleary

Question:

617. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education the steps being taken to facilitate remote working within her Department and particularly to encourage remote working for those who live in the regions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42703/21]

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Written answers

Staff of my department have been working in line with Government COVID-19 guidance, which had provided for home working to continue where possible.  This was also the position adopted by aegis bodies of my department.  Following the Taoiseach's announcement on the 1st of September, my department is now in the process of planning for a phased return to the workplace. 

A central policy framework for Blended Working in the Civil Service will be finalised in conjunction with employee representatives over the coming months. This framework will inform the development of organisation level blended working policies tailored to the specific requirements of each Department/Office, whilst ensuring a consistency of approach across key policy areas.

State Examinations

Questions (618)

Patrick Costello

Question:

618. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education when the stakeholder process on planning for an alternate sitting of the leaving certificate 2022 will commence; if she will ensure that an organisation (details supplied) is central to this process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42718/21]

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Written answers

The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. 

In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Flexible Work Practices

Questions (619)

Holly Cairns

Question:

619. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education the way in which her Department and public bodies and agencies under her remit are accommodating requests for persons to work from home. [42753/21]

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Written answers

Staff of my department have been working in line with Government COVID-19 guidance, which had provided for home working to continue where possible with the exception of roles where the nature of the work did not lend itself to remote working.  This was also the position adopted by aegis bodies of my department.  Following the Taoiseach's announcement on the 1st of September, my department is now in the process of planning for a phased return to the workplace. 

A central policy framework for Blended Working in the Civil Service will be finalised in conjunction with employee representatives over the coming months. This framework will inform the development of organisation level blended working policies tailored to the specific requirements of each Department, Office and aegis body, whilst ensuring a consistency of approach across key policy areas.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (620)

Holly Cairns

Question:

620. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education if she will provide carbon dioxide monitors for every teaching room in each primary and secondary school in the State. [42775/21]

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Written answers

Managing 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 copy of the guidance is published at www.gov.ie/en/publication/ad236-guidance-on-ventilation-in-schools/.

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.

My Department procured portable monitors that are being distributed to schools in August and September – between 2 and 20 at primary school level and between 20 and 35 at post-primary school level depending on school size, at an estimated overall cost of €4 million. This will ensure that a CO2 monitor will be available for use in every classroom in Ireland. The monitors are portable, simple to use, and will give a digital reading.

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. The target remains to have all monitors delivered by the middle of September.

Smaller sized schools will receive their full allocation in one delivery, with medium and larger sized schools receiving two deliveries. This approach maximises the number of schools that are provided with monitors as early as possible.  

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