Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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286. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the fact that schools are being forced to choose between HEPA filters and oil for heating under the minor works scheme. [4210/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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To provide additional support in the context of Covid-19 the payment of a minor works grant totalling €45m for primary schools and special schools, plus a once-off Covid-19 minor works funding of €17m for post-primary schools, was issued in December 2021. The minor works funding is a capital grant and provides good flexibility to address issues at local school level. The works that can be undertaken under the primary minor works scheme include maintenance and small-scale improvements to school buildings and grounds, improvement or replacement of mechanical and electrical services, the purchase of standard furniture and physical education equipment, the purchase of floor coverings and window blinds and the purchase of IT related equipment.

Given that each school setting is different, individual schools are best placed to decide how best to use this funding to address their particular needs. Specialist advice/assistance of a Chartered Engineer or Registered Architect is an important source of support for schools. This will help ensure that appropriate solutions are being put in place to address ventilation issues including advice on whether a HEPA Air Cleaner Unit is required to deal with a poorly ventilated room. Schools that identify inadequate ventilation in a room can utilise their minor work grant or apply for emergency works grant assistance to address ventilation enhancements where the minor work grant does not cover the full cost of the works required.

My Department also provides capitation funding to all recognised schools in the Free Education Scheme. The main grant is the capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs including heating costs.

My Department has ensured that centrally negotiated rates are available to schools for electricity and bulk heating fuels. These rates are available through existing frameworks sourced by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP). OGP has run competitions specifically for Schools at a national level and the Schools Procurement Unit and the Department has communicated with schools and school management bodies informing them of the options available to them through these national arrangements. Information on how to avail of these arrangements is available via the Schools Procurement Unit website, www.spu.ie.

As you are aware the Department has also issued additional funding to schools to support the implementation of infection prevention and control measures required to help minimise the risk of Covid-19. Funding has recently issued to cover the new term.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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287. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there is additional funding for heating available to schools. [4211/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides capitation funding to all recognised schools in the Free Education Scheme.

The main grant is the capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs including heating costs.

My Department has ensured that centrally negotiated rates are available to schools for electricity and bulk heating fuels. These rates are available through existing frameworks sourced by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP). OGP has run competitions specifically for Schools at a national level and the Schools Procurement Unit and the Department has communicated with schools and school management bodies informing them of the options available to them through these national arrangements. Information on how to avail of these arrangements is available via the Schools Procurement Unit website, www.spu.ie.

As you are aware the Department has issued additional funding to schools to support the implementation of infection prevention and control measures required to help minimise the risk of Covid-19. Funding has recently issued to cover the new term.

The public health guidance for schools operating during Covid-19 includes some important general recommendations about ventilation practices in schools. Ventilation guidance for schools was published by the Department in May 2021.

Schools are urged to:

- Consider if room ventilation especially in classrooms, break rooms and canteens can be improved without causing discomfort.

- Ensure that, wherever possible, doors and windows are open to increase natural ventilation.

- Increase air flow and ventilation weather permitting

The over-arching approach for schools should be to have windows open as fully as possible when classrooms are not in use (e.g. during break-times or lunch-times and also at the end of each school day) and partially open when classrooms are in use. 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 and also heating costs during periods of colder weather.

You will also be aware that the Enhanced Minor Works for Primary Schools Grant Funding issued recently and this is intended to support the operation of schools generally and particularly within a Covid-19 environment, with a specific focus on providing additional support to schools for the implementation of the ventilation guidance published by the Department.