Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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266. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of providing every classroom in Ireland with a CO2 monitor. [47450/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Managing ventilation is just one of a suite of public health measures in place to keep our schools safe. Updated guidance for schools on Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools was provided at the end of May following the work of an expert group that carefully considered the role of ventilation in managing COVID-19.

A copy of the guidance is published on the Gov.ie website.

This report formed the based 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 CO₂monitors.

The use of CO₂monitors 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 and in that regard my Department has funded the provision of a number of portable CO₂monitors for schools at an estimated overall cost of circa €4 million.

The monitors are portable, simple to use, and will give a digital reading.  The portability of monitors is important as it provides good flexibility to focus their use to those rooms where most beneficial to inform strategies for optimising ventilation in the school.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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267. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department discussed the potential use of air filtration in schools and classrooms in combating the spread of Covid-19. [47451/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Managing ventilation is just one of a suite of public health measures in place to keep our schools safe. Updated guidance for schools on Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools was provided at the end of May following the work of an expert group that carefully considered the role of ventilation in managing COVID-19.

The provision of portable CO₂monitors provides schools with the flexibility to focus their use to those rooms where most beneficial to inform strategies for optimising ventilation in the school.

Many schools will already have put measures in place to improve ventilation in rooms that are poorly ventilated e.g. used minor works funding provided in July 2020 and again in December 2020 to do some reconfiguration works such as adding more vents, fixing/changing windows that don’t open or where necessary provision of air cleaners etc. The Department’s guidance advised that the summer holiday period is the optimum time to undertake works to improve ventilation in classrooms. 

Where the CO₂monitors indicate high CO_2, schools will increase ventilation in that room by opening doors and windows wider and for longer periods and applying the practical steps for the deployment of good ventilation practices in schools as set out in the Guidance. 

If poor ventilation continues to exist in a particular room/area, the updated Guidance advises schools to source specific technical specialist advice, via a Chartered Engineer or Registered Architect, on how ventilation in that particular room/area can be improved. Most schools should have ready access to a local Architect or Engineer from previous or current building projects being delivered (current pipeline of projects involve some 30% of schools).

The updated guidance also references a role for Air Purifiers in certain more limited circumstances where for example a room is not well ventilated and works are awaited to address same.  The air purifier can assist in such cases in improving air quality albeit it does not reduce Covid-19.

The appointment of a Chartered Engineer or Registered Architect is important to ensure the works determined as necessary are appropriate and fit for purpose. Such works can subsequently be undertaken by the school and funded through its minor works grant funding or through an emergency works application if of a larger scale.