Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent)
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93. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the number of children in cold prefabs having to wear extra clothes to keep themselves warm; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5483/22]

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 updated guidance for schools is also fully in line with the most recent guidance on non-healthcare building ventilation during COVID-19, published by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre November 2021.  

The following points are noted in this guidance: 

o The guidance provide to all schools advised that “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 in classrooms during periods of colder weather.

o Similarly ensuring that at the end of the school day each evening, the windows in each room are opened (as wide as is practical and safe, while also considering security issues) for at least 15 minutes to ventilate the room fully will ensure that the classrooms are ventilated from the night before and this does not need to be repeated prior to class in the morning. During this first class of the school day windows should, weather conditions permitting, be partially opened (as per guidance in this document) to keep the room fresh and prevent stuffiness and condensation etc. This is in addition to and complements the end-of-day ventilation described above.  

- Achieving fresh air by having a number of windows partially opened as required rather than one window fully open can help to maximise the use of window driven natural ventilation distribution across the room without causing discomfort. In colder weather any local chilling effect can be offset by partially opening the windows nearest to and above the radiators.  

- As part of managing comfort levels in classrooms, schools should check that their boilers operation temperatures are set at the recommended manufacturers’ 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 are in use and fully when not in use) in order to maintain an appropriate balance between ventilation and comfort levels”  

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.  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 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.