Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 October 2022
98. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education the number of grants that were allocated for indoor ventilation and mobile HEPA air filtration systems since 2020 to schools; and if she will provide details of each of these grants, in monetary value and geographical area, in tabular form. [52199/22]
View answerManaging ventilation is one of a suite of public health measures in place to keep our schools safe. The Expert Group note in its own report that very good advice is contained in the Department of Education’s Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools. They also note that it must be emphasised that ventilation should be delivered as part of a layered strategy of protective measures to control the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Along with these preventative actions, ventilation further reduces the risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools. 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 on 20th January 2022 and general advice on preventing the spread of COVID-19 in non-healthcare settings published by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre 10 May 2022.
The ventilation guidance recognises that there is no “one size that fits all” and that ventilation is best managed at local individual school level. Consequently, to provide additional support in the context of Covid-19 the payment of a minor works grant totaling €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 to all recognised schools in the free scheme. Schools have been using this funding to address their ventilation requirements which can, where required and with the recommendation of their engineer or architect, include air cleaning filters (HEPA). Schools can also apply for additional emergency works grant assistance to address ventilation enhancements where the minor work grant does not cover the full cost of the works required.
In the case where a school has difficulty engaging a Chartered Engineer or Registered Architect the Department can assist, with a dedicated ventilation team available to support school principals in this regard.
To date 31 schools have applied for additional funding under the emergency works scheme to assist with ventilation. Of these, 20 have been approved, 1 application is with a school to review the scope of the application, 2 applications were incorrectly classified as ventilation related and assessed separately, 7 have been rejected as the application form was not fully completed and 1 is currently being assessed by a member of the Department’s technical team.
Table: Emergency Works – Ventilation Grants
|
County |
Approved Applications |
Value (€000) |
|
Cork |
2 |
42 |
|
Dublin |
6 |
818 |
|
Kerry |
3 |
93 |
|
Kilkenny |
1 |
7 |
|
Leitrim |
1 |
28 |
|
Limerick |
2 |
56 |
|
Mayo |
1 |
122 |
|
Tipperary |
1 |
26 |
|
Waterford |
1 |
36 |
|
Wexford |
2 |
49 |
