The lack of Government advice on sourcing HEPA filters has left many schools not knowing where to turn, according to a Carlow principal.
Education Minister Norma Foley last week announced a €62m grant scheme to help schools purchase and install the high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters in classrooms.
The department also issued guidance on room-air cleaners which instructed schools to consult with their unit supplier when deciding what type of appliance they need.
On The Pat Kenny Show this morning, Simon Lewis, Principal at Carlow Educate Together said schools just need straightforward advice from Government.
“Every measure has come way too late for schools, unfortunately,” he said.
“The latest one was HEPA filters. They were recommended for over a year now and it was only last week they were announced.
“I suppose a lot of my colleagues are looking for straightforward advice.
“The information that came from the Department of Education basically said go out and get your HEPA filters. Now, I consider myself a decent teacher - I am pretty good at education - but I am definitely not a HEPA filter expert and in my inbox this morning, there are about a dozen ads with prices for these things running from a couple of hundred Euro to a couple of thousand Euro and to be honest, I don’t know where to turn.
“You are trying your best in really trying circumstances and just not getting the advice that we really need.”
He said the Department should have tendered for the devices at a national level.
“The advice from the Department of Education was to contact our local engineer,” he said.
“Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t have my local engineer on speed-dial. They are great at throwing out these statements about contacting your local somebody or other but again, we just would like straightforward advice.
“We are all in the same boat. We don’t need these so-called bespoke solutions. We simply need to know what do we need and where do we get it and actually preferably, it would be nice if the Department of Education could tender that one out for us.
“Just take one job of our backs would be nice.”
He said attendance today is at about 70% as many parents decided to keep their children home ahead of Christmas.
“My favourite comment on that came not from a health expert but from a parent,” he said.
“She basically said she wasn’t going to be sending her child to schools to be watching movies, eating popcorn and catching COVID.
“I think that kind of sums it up really.”
The Department funding for HEPA filters came in the form of an increase to the minor works grant.
Some €45m was set aside for primary schools with €17m announced for post-primary schools.
On Newstalk last month, Professor Luke O'Neill, meanwhile, said the filters are not particularly expensive, and having them in every classroom would be "yet another weapon" to use against COVID.
