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TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has said the government will provide resources to schools that wish to buy HEPA filters for classrooms.
The Taoiseach was questioned by a number of members of the Opposition during Leaders’ Questions about ventilation in schools, who asked why the government was slow to move on the issue.
Martin told the Dáil that the government is not against HEPA filters, stating they are in fact in favour of their usage.
He confirmed that the government would provide funding for the filters, but said “it may not be necessary in every classroom”.
“The funding will be made available if schools wish to purchase filters in given situations,” he said.
The Taoiseach said there are 50,000 classrooms across the country, between primary and post-primary schools, adding that the government is adopting a “targeted approach to address ventilation issues”, which he said may include air cleaners, where required.
“We are looking here at air cleaners costing between €1,500 and €1,800, which we think are is required for classrooms,” he added.
The Government acts on science all the time in what we do around Covid-19, he told the Dáil.
“Funding will be made available but there could be different solutions for different schools around ventilation and air quality. Some may be more medium-term. The immediate short-term solution is portable HEPA filters or some improvement of that kind. Funding will be made available for that. It is not the silver bullet by any means,” said Martin.
The Department of Education confirmed to The Journal that the detail regarding the minor works grant for schools will be made available later this week.
‘Freezing classrooms’
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald told Martin that “we are now in winter and our children and teaching staff have been freezing in classrooms wearing hats and scarves during the school day, with windows wide open in an attempt to keep them safe”.
“We are nearly two years into this pandemic, but the Government has still not delivered a plan for proper ventilation in our schools. It has been clear for some time that high-efficiency particulate air, HEPA, filters have an important role to play in ensuring that schools have clean air,” she said.
“They remove contaminants and viruses from the air and help reduce airborne transmission in classrooms with poor ventilation.
“The WHO, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the Government’s own expert group on ventilation have emphasised the value of HEPA filters in keeping schools safe, but instead of listening to this expert advice and installing HEPA filters in schools, the Government’s approach is, as the Taoiseach put it at his press conference on Friday, to open the windows and so on.”
McDonald said parents and school staff must have been shaking their heads in disbelief, stating that yet again there is no sense of urgency or forward planning.
Martin said the Minister for Education Norma Foley has at all times adhered to expert advice in respect of ventilation.
“While it may at times be tempting to lampoon the idea of fresh air, that has been the number one item on that expert advice, that is, where possible, fresh air is the most effective form of ventilation. Of course, that has limitations in the context of cold and inclement weather,” he said.
“The Minister for Education has provided substantial resources to schools and will continue to do so. Schools will be in a position, if they wish and if it is suitable, to buy HEPA filters for classrooms, but I point out the advice of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, SAGE, the expert body in the UK, on HEPA filters.
“It is saying there is a need for better data on real-world application to support these technologies. It may be a viable solution in spaces where it is difficult to provide good ventilation. SAGE is saying that a lot of the application of filters will depend on the configuration of rooms and certain situations.”
The Sinn Fein leader accused the Taoiseach of taking a laissez-faire approach with schools.
She called on the Taoiseach to commit that the Government will ensure that these filters are rolled out, stating that the government should use the Christmas break as an opportunity to install them when children are off school.
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said that science is clear that HEPA filters would help the situation is schools, stating that paying out for the filters will cost a lot less than the other measures the government are putting in place.
Social Democrats Education Spokesperson Gary Gannon highlighted that €30 million scheme is being finalised to provide air filtration units for schools, but that funding is being provided under a minor works grant.
Schools will have to choose between HEPA filters and other essential works, he said.
“Schools are therefore placed in an invidious position – they can either choose to prioritise ventilation or other essential works or equipment,” said Gannon who called for a dedicated scheme to provide the filters in schools.
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You have to laugh…… the NWC gets over a million euros per annum ( no idea what for)….. they go ALL IN, real hard on the yes/yes side……& now, the best they can come up with is ‘ it was a wake up call’, like seriously???? Roderic o gormans seat on the gravy train HAS to be looking shaky. The biggest winners in the whole fiasco are Michael mcdowell & Peadar Tobin
@Ken Mc Carthy: The womans Council of Ireland ? They are getting massive Taxpayers money for what? they don’t repesent me or any women I know Jumping on the band wagon to try & be relevant they just look after the liberal agenda & no one else gets a look in
@Ken Mc Carthy: So basically, we are going to still let the out-of-touch ‘Brexiteers’, (for want of a better word), dictate policy to the ‘Remainers’. If the NWC and others got it so wrong what does that say about their overall policy decisions?
Tone deaf and completely out of touch. There was nothing in that referendum that aimed to help the women of Ireland, or those in need of ongoing care. That is why the majority voted no
There has to be questions asked on the way these NGOS are funded
@Paul Maguire: The first of said questions being, how soon can we defund?
@Mike: bullshit
@Mike: they do not represent the women of Ireland they have a completely different agenda and this same group that call themselves the National Women’s Council of Ireland and received a million euro last year in funding and tried to use that same funding to erase women and mother out of that constitution that protects women. They need to be defunded and renamed as they do not in any way represent women.
@Aisling Farrell: Thank you, Aisling! I agree that their role is pure utter bullshit. I’m delighted that you feel the same way.
@Aisling Farrell: Nobody agrees with you. You must feel pretty silly now. Oh well, tomorrow is another day.
People have had enough of the constant pandering to a tiny minority of the population. Michael McDowell summed it up perfectly.
The NWC have never represented women in the home, mothers who take care of their own children , carers who look after elderly parents, sick or disabled family members, disabled people who want to be acknowledged in their own right and have their own entitlements . Tom Clonan is correct that Ireland must “act to legislate and vindicate the rights of disabled citizens.” , and I would go further , the same legislation and vindication of carers rights particularly the carers affected by the 2012 legislation which denies them an old age pension as they do not meet the 520 paid contributions rule. It is demeaning to suggest Irish voters did not understand or were confused by the wording of the referendum, people simply saw through the governments intentions and unwillingness to commit to treating carers and disabled persons with legally enforceable rights and supports. For their arrogance and disregard , the government got what they deserved, a resounding NO.
She’s gone into classic ‘justify my salary’ mode so endemic within pointless NGO’s. Its called democracy, had the yes side prevailed then I’ve no doubt that line would be thrown at us like stones.
The poor NGOs, crying into their echo chambers.
Maybe stop including males in your definition of women. Just a thought.
The women’s council was not speaking on my behalf with a yes vote
Out of control NGO’S. ARROGANCE.
End wokeness!
Squirming making excuses… they’ll just keep pushing it under whatever guise till they get what they want.
Would it ever occur to Orla O’Connor and her overpaid colleagues that people are fed up with those we elect to govern delegating power to unelected NGOs. The money squandered and the power given to the NGOs is a national disgrace.
The worst thing about this referendum was the blatant lies from the Government and the Yes side. Do not patronise the people. The synical move to run it on international womens day on top of it all. It had zero to do with womens rights and everything to do with removing the right to stay at home and raise your child and also with pushing the rights of a family into the courts. It was a disgrace from the start. As a supporter, Sinn Fein made a very bad call on this one.
@Colm Mac Diarmada: No cynical remarks on spelling. Any other cynical remarks welcome.
@Colm Mac Diarmada: it had nothing to do with removing women’s or anyone else’s rights. There are plenty of people who work in the home and not all of them are women. . The aim was to include all who do and recognise the value they give to society.
And there is no plot to force mothers out to work.
Those families who do not confirm to the traditional model must be feeling seriously disturbed by the result of the vote.
@Dublin Doll: You seem quite disturbed, dolly. Most other people seem just fine. The people spoke, deal with it.
Nwc who represent the vast majority of irish women in affluent dublin must be bitterly disappointed
Time to scrap these ngos
How can you expect people to vote for a constitutional change without clearly explaining what that entails, the arrogance is unbelievable and if I were Mary Lou I’d quit while I was ahead, talking about a rewording and revote if they get into power smacks is Lisbon 2!
Sometimes I think Sinn Fein just don’t want to be in government.
P.S. I heard Tom Clonan talk about it and that was enough for me!
Time to end funding to this NGO, they don’t represent the Irish people & in particular Irish women. All the women in my home voted No. The NWC is dominated by political vested interests. O Connor should step down with immediate effect as she doesn’t have her finger on the pulse of the Irish nation & in particular Irish women. The level of funding they are getting should be invested instead in women with disabilities, instead of CEO’s
The NWC do not represent the majority of women in this country. They are an NGO dependant on the state for their funding and salaries. They do not advocate for the average women but for the tiny elite who like to tell women how they should vote.
Think its bad now,if sf/pb4p/gp/ lp get in the ngo’s will be running the country
@Fran Mooney: Yes, it is bad now. Also, I agree SF might not be much better. What is your solution?
For all those calling the NWCI an NGO, they are not. FOI requests confirm that 97% of their salaries are paid by the government which makes them a government mouthpiece. They do not represent women in Ireland, they represent the government and by default the EU or more precisely the EC.
The Natural Women’s Council speaks with so much more sense , conviction and belief than the very well paid National Women’s Council.
NGO just money to the administration big salary for directors and all propaganda
Nwc and Family carers organisation Orla and Mrs Cox I’d say are Card carrying FIne Gaelers divorced from the real world
@Tim Brennan: they should be gone & good riddance
Back to the sink
The real message in there is that people have enough of all these wasters. All these speech on women equality, on gay rights and so on
These politicians are so use to rule without taking any advice and use to get away with it, are now reminded that the people decide. Yes, it is a republic !
But the sad thing here is that none of them will do the correct things like resign, call for a general election, review their politics…etc… they actually will continue the only way they know, brushing this on their shoulder like dust and not have a second thought. They were nearly all in it for a yes. This show how much they are all out of touch !
And the worse thing ? They will be no consequences for them and they know it !
Some woeful rubbish being spouted in here
Bottom line the Irish electorate are not fools
Listening to the reason for a no vote on the family side, I can say it was to protect marriage and exclude other families to keep them locked out of widow government supports. Look at it this way if an aerlingus plane is about to fall from the sky imagine the air hostess asking people if they are married or not, just like the government does. See this in your head the air hostess handing out life vest ask are you married and you say yes then you get a life vest but if you say you are not married you cannot have one.
You’re left to fend for yourself without support. That’s what people voted to keep. Marriage is a religious declaration not for everyone.
The most success government Party to attack different families has been the Fine Gael and Labour coalition.
@Liam Foy: ??? No idea what that rant is supposed to be about…..if the plane was ‘ falling out of the sky’ I’d be thinking…’mmmm … bacardi& coke would be nice’
@Liam Foy: Marriage is not a religious declaration, it is a legally, socially sanctioned union which is voluntary, setting a relationship on a public, official and permanent basis and is a consensual and contractual relationship recognised by law.
@Liam Foy: Marriage has nothing to do with religion and was around long before any church or such was formed
@Ken Mc Carthy: the rant is the current democratic treatment of women with children not married in Ireland. The plane was an example of the inequality that exists. The resounding no today is the resounding no from government for decades towards women on their own with children. Mostly those who partners have deceased.
@Liam Foy: nope…. still ‘lost’….. you know the government were looking/ pushing for a ‘ yes/yes’ today right???
@Liam Foy: Such a load of twaddle, get out more clear yiur head
The wording was Awful. I just couldn’t vote for that.
They are not fit for purpose, just another Quango at the trough.
Karen Kiernan is saying they have been working for 50 years so that single parents can no longer be fired or evicted? What sort of attitude is that? Why should anyone be exempt from either situation? The WRC are there for perceived workplace injustice and the RTB for tenant and landlord issues. I dont think you need constitutional protection for that
The NWC are obviously not very representative of women. This publicly funded quango should be disbanded.
@Padraig O’Brien:
I can’t find it / them on the Charities Regulator website.
@Padraig O’Brien:
Sorry – I found it / them.
No staff, No volunteers, Assets €450k
https://www.nwci.ie/
A wishey washey attempt by ffg trying to play to everyone
You also spelled patronize wrong. Maybe your 50 and tired….. but ultimately happy with the result.
@Colm Mac Diarmada: you’re
@h5kFhdYI: As in “you’re being petty”. Sign of an unfulfilled existence they say.
National Women’s Council of Ireland. A mutual admiration society for the top hens in the pecking order. Describes itself as a charity – obviously charity begins at home.
The Irish constitution in no way prohibits women from doing anything they want. Everyone knows this. This was a deeply pointless waste of time and money. Going through the constitution with a fine tooth comb to find something that only hypothetically effects everyday life is a futile and meaningless exercise.
Those responsible are morons.
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