Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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79. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she has taken to ensure the return to school is safe and sustainable; the investments that will be required for this; and the work she has undertaken with other Departments in furtherance of this aim. [45807/21]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Sinn Féin has always said that the priority must be a safe and sustainable return to school. We all know that in-school learning is unmatched in terms of children's development but there is clearly a distance to go in terms of some of the mitigation measures. There are issues to address in schools, not least securing CO2 monitors and adequate ventilation. How does the Minister plan to ensure all schools have the mitigation measures they need?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. Ensuring that schools can open and operate sustainably has been a key priority for me as Minister for Education. To support this objective, the Department of Education has engaged extensively with all of the education stakeholders, the Department of Health and the public health team in the HSE.

All schools across Ireland have fully reopened safely after the summer break, which is hugely welcome, as the Deputy acknowledged. Public health has reviewed the measures put in place to ensure safe operation of schools and has advised that the new variants of the disease do not change the infection prevention and control measures required in schools. The Department has been always guided by public health advice on appropriate Covid-19 infection prevention and control measures. Those measures protect students, their parents and school staff, and are effective.

Each school was provided with an updated Covid-19 response plan in advance of the return to school. Significant additional resources of €639 million were put into schools in the last academic year to keep schools safe. Further funding of €57.6 million has been paid by way of Covid-19 capitation to schools for the implementation of infection prevention and control measures for this term alone. This funding will cater for school costs related to hand hygiene measures, personal protective equipment, PPE, requirements, enhanced cleaning supports and supervision. At primary level, additional management resources for principal release days were provided for principals and deputy principals. Principals have one day per week away from teaching duties to concentrate on leading teaching and learning and administration duties. Teacher supply panels were also expanded to cover the majority of primary schools nationwide.

The Deputy specifically referenced the CO2 monitors that were recommended. Measures have been put in place to ensure that CO2 monitors will be provided in our schools. Some 96% of primary schools and all our special schools have their allocation. Indeed, each of our post-primary schools has at least ten monitors. There was an issue with the supplier, Lennox Laboratories, which was identified. Lennox has now informed the Department that resources, in terms of CO2 monitors, will be made available in October. In the meantime, should schools wish to purchase them on the ground, the opportunity for local purchase has been made available.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister instanced the return to school documents that schools have received. As I demonstrated on Tuesday, and as has been borne out since, there are contradictions between that document and the HSE advice.

On Tuesday, at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Education, the Minister said that she did not expect any significant changes in terms of contact tracing or mitigation measures. That has obviously proven not to be the case. Indeed, what has transpired has gone significantly further than reporting on the matter had previously suggested. We recognise there was an issue that undoubtedly needed to be addressed but it is poor form that the education spokespersons for the Opposition were not briefed on these changes. The Minister was not fully transparent with the education committee about the changes that were on the way. More importantly, it is incredibly important that teaching staff, parents and students are hearing from the Chief Medical Officer, CMO, the rationale behind these changes. More importantly again, they should hear from the Minister what these changes will mean in our schools. I urge the Minister, along with the CMO, to address the nation, particularly the teaching staff and parents, on these changes.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. I will take the opportunity to refute the Deputy's assertion that I was less than forthright about the changes that were impending at the time of the meeting. The Deputy referenced the fact that all of society knew there were going to be changes and that there was a particular direction of travel. However, that direction of travel was not confirmed to me by the CMO. As the Deputy is aware, the CMO and the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET, released their final recommendation yesterday. It was yesterday evening that documentation came to us. There was an indication earlier that changes were afoot. I had discussed the matter with the Minister for Health but the final recommendation did not take place until further updated data were reviewed. Those data have been reviewed and, as a consequence of that, the decision was made.

It is, might I say, a NPHET decision. The changes were made on foot of the recommendation of the CMO and NPHET, who have guided the school sector throughout the pandemic, as they have wider society. It is not my decision as Minister for Education but it is my decision to accept the advices of the CMO and NPHET.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Using my words as a suggestion that the Minister was forthright is not totally consistent. However, if the Minister is saying she was not fully aware of the situation as it was at that stage, of course I accept that. That said, I still urge her to ensure the CMO addresses parents and school staff about these changes and that the Minister makes it clear what these changes will mean on the ground and addresses the nation in that regard. There are still questions about how these changes will work out in practice.

Ten CO2 monitors for a secondary school that could have 40 or 50 rooms is not good enough. It is not even close to good enough. In the context of Covid-19 or in any context, when one considers issues such as supervision, the idea of teachers and school staff moving monitors around the classrooms between classes is clearly not practical or workable. We have been raising this issue since Christmas, as have many others. It is clear this was left to the last minute and that is why we do not have enough monitors. Has the Department examined the potential and benefits of filtration?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. On the matter of guidance for schools, I will again say to the Deputy that the confirmation was received only yesterday evening. It was the recommendation of the CMO and NPHET, accepted by the Minister for Health. Guidelines are issuing to schools today on foot of that recommendation and will be with the schools today.

I acknowledge that public health and other issues were addressed by the CMO and by various individuals involved in public health at various times yesterday and will no doubt be addressed again today. There is no shortage of discussion between public health officials and all our stakeholders. In fact, those stakeholders are fully briefed and meet on a regular basis with public health officials. That is something I was determined would be a key feature of the procedure within our schools. There are public health meetings with various unions and representative bodies and they will continue.

The CO2 monitors are in place, as I have already outlined. There was a shortfall but it will be met by October. There was an issue that was addressed by the supplier, Lennox Laboratories. Any issues that are outstanding will be dealt with.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Minister comment on filtration?

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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We are over time.