Written answers

Wednesday, 16 June 2021

Department of Education and Skills

Covid-19 Pandemic

Photo of John LahartJohn Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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138. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the plans she and her Department have for the safe return of schools for teachers and students for the next academic year in respect of indoor ventilation to combat the Covid-19 pandemic taking account of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment's recently published Work Safety Protocol; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32301/21]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Managing classroom ventilation is one of a number of prevention and control measures in place to ensure schools are safe.

Practical steps for the deployment of good ventilation practices was provided to the school system in the context of re-opening for September 2020. This guidance was reviewed and updated in November 2020 and in May 2021. This guidance is compatible with that in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment's recently published Work Safety Protocol

Schools were reminded of the importance of good ventilation as part of the phased re-opening of schools.

An expert group on ventilation was established to assess the role of ventilation in reducing transmission of Covid-19. The HPSC updated its guidance to reflect the work of this expert group. A Ventilation Working Group involving all relevant Departments (including Department of Education) was established by the Department of the Taoiseach to coordinate this work.

Previous issued guidance advised schools how to identify areas of poor ventilation and the deployment of these measures can be supplemented and enhanced by the use of CO2monitors and can provide a useful general indication that areas/rooms may not be adequately ventilated and can enable occupants to become familiar with the impact of activities, outdoor weather and window openings on ventilation levels. CO2monitors have been centrally tendered with delivery direct to schools over the coming months.

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