Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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500. To ask the Minister for Health the actions that his Department has taken to ensure clean air in nursing homes, including providing ventilation schemes, CO2 monitors or HEPA filters, to support them in ensuring their residents are exposed to clean air in an effort to keep them safe from Covid-19 infection. [62442/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) of the HSE has developed, published and regularly reviews a comprehensive package of public health and infection prevention and control guidance for long-term residential care facilities. This includes the comprehensive “Public Health & Infection Prevention & Control Guidelines on the Prevention and Management of Cases and Outbreaks of COVID-19, Influenza & other Respiratory Infections in Residential Care Facilities”, most recently updated on 30November 2021. This guidance also refers to ventilation, providing advice on circumstances where ventilation may be improved. Additionally, there are well established regulations and standards, including HIQA’s National Standards for infection prevention and control (IPC) in community services which provide a comprehensive package of IPC measures.

Regulation 17 of the Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2013 also requires registered providers to provide premises that conform to specific matters set out in the regulations, which includes “ventilation, heating and lighting suitable for residents in all parts of the designated centre which are used by resident”. As such, registered providers may make a determination on any appropriate interventions having regard to their individual circumstances.