Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 19 May 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health

Ventilation and Covid-19: Discussion

Photo of Cathal CroweCathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Jones. I have two questions for Ms Hegarty. One is on HEPA filtration in aircraft. There is a debate under way at the moment and we are at the cusp of international air travel resuming. From everything I have read, HEPA filtration in aircraft claims to be 99.7% effective, yet there is a caveat that it depends on whether the air you are breathing in has actually gone through the filtration system. If it is from the passenger in front or behind, it is a different story. Does Ms Hegarty believe international air travel, with its extensive network of HEPA filtration, is safe?

Many pubs in Ireland have massive air filtration systems in their ceilings. They were probably brought in before the smoking ban. Many have become obsolete yet they are massive pieces of infrastructure bolted onto the ceilings of pubs which have not been used in many years because of the smoking ban and most places do not using them any more. Do those systems have a function? Might they be upgraded or repurposed when pubs reopen so that it will be safe when people are congregating and drinking indoors? I ask because it will not always be possible for everyone to always be outside, going by what Irish weather is like.