Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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79. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the actions being taken to ensure that continued operation of schools at which inadequate ventilation has been identified; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40088/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Practical steps for the deployment of good ventilation practices was provided to the school system in August in the context of re-opening for September 2020.

This guidance has recently been reviewed and was circulated to the education partners for their feedback. The updated guidance has now been published.

In terms of good ventilation practices in schools it is important, particularly as we get further into winter that we achieve an appropriate balance between good ventilation and comfort.

The overall approach for schools should be to have windows open as fully as possible when classrooms are not in use (for example during break-times, lunch-times and at the end of each school day) and partially open when classrooms are in use to achieve appropriate air flow.

It is worth noting that windows do not need to be open as wide in windy/colder weather in order to achieve the same level of airflow into the classroom. This will assist in managing comfort levels in classrooms during periods of colder weather including those in prefabricated accommodation.

As part of managing comfort levels in classrooms, schools should check that their heating systems are set at the recommended manufacturer’s guidance levels to maximise the available heat to the school. In addition, heating should operate for extended periods during colder weather to counteract, as best as possible, the impact of windows being open (partially when classrooms in use and fully when not in use) in order to maintain an appropriate balance between ventilation and comfort levels.