Holly Cairns
Question:567. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education if she will ensure that all special classes are provided with CO2 monitors in addition to each school's standard allocation. [53352/21]
View answerTuesday, 2 November 2021
Questions (567)
Written answers
Good ventilation was identified as an important aspect of public health advice on managing Covid-19 risks and this led to the establishment of an Expert Group by the Department of Health. A sub-group of the main Expert Group focussed exclusively on the issue of improving and monitoring ventilation in schools. A copy of the guidance is published on the Gov.ie website.
This report formed the basis for the most recent updating of the ventilation guidance for schools and included recommendations in relation to strengthening the message about the importance of good ventilation and the use of CO2 monitors.
My Department arranged for the provision of a number of portable CO2 monitors based on the approximate size of each school. The use of CO2 monitors can provide a useful general indication that areas/rooms within a building may not be adequately ventilated and can enable occupants to become familiar with the impact that activities, outdoor weather and window openings have on levels of good ventilation within a room. This information can be used to inform strategies for improving ventilation. The portable units can facilitate measurements in a wide range of locations in schools including special education needs classrooms.
The total amount of CO2 monitors delivered across the county is in excess of 35,400. All allocations have been dispatched to schools across the county. The monitors are portable, simple to use, and will give a digital reading.
My Department arranged for the provision of a number of portable CO2 monitors based on the approximate size of each school. The mechanism for determining the approximate size of the primary school was the number of mainstream classrooms in the school. Schools were advised to distribute theses monitors across the school building.
The number of CO2 monitors provided to each school was then determined using the following bands:
|
Primary Schools (Classrooms) |
Monitors per school |
|
1 classroom |
2 |
|
2 to 4 Classrooms |
3 |
|
5 to 8 |
5 |
|
9 to 12 |
7 |
|
13 to 16 |
9 |
|
17 to 20 |
11 |
|
21 to 24 |
13 |
|
25 to 30 |
17 |
|
31+ |
20 |
|
Special Schools |
Monitors per school |
|
Special Schools |
10 |
|
Secondary Schools (Free Scheme) enrolment bands |
Monitors per school |
|
<500 |
20 |
|
501 to 750 |
25 |
|
751 to 1000 |
30 |
|
1001+ |
35 |
The provision of portable CO2 monitors provides schools with the flexibility to focus their use to those rooms where most beneficial to inform strategies for optimising ventilation in the school.
Where an individual schools identifies an additional need, the Department has put in place a mechanism in place for schools to request additional monitors through a dedicated helpline and email account.