Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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275. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 816 of 4 November 2025, the number of schools who have mechanical ventilation heat recovery systems installed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62488/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department published the School Sector Technical Climate Action Roadmap 2023 to 2030 – ‘Making the Transition to Net Zero in Our Schools’ in July 2023. This included the decarbonisation of new school building projects entering design:

‘All new school building projects commencing or at early design scope under the School Building Programme will as part of the project decarbonisation strategy develop and deliver renewable heating to meet 90 % of annual heat load demand, supported by high efficiency mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR) and cost optimum solar photovoltaic provision and electric vehicle charging’.

Since 2023 Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery (MVHR) has been therefore incorporated within the design of new build and large-scale school extension projects across my department’s capital delivery programmes which includes ADAPT, Design & Build, Major Devolved and deep retrofit projects being delivered under the Departments EURepower Programme. There are currently 38 new schools in construction with completions due in 2025 and 2026, a number of which include MVHR.