Paul Murphy Demands HEPA Filter Figures for Childcare Settings

Thank you very much, Chair. The Minister will be aware of the very high infection rates of Covid that continue amongst children, particularly those between zero and five years of age. I got figures during the week about the levels of hospitalisation, which are strikingly high for those between zero and five. Understandably, they're the one category who aren't vaccinated. So the question is, what progress is the Government making in terms of getting HEPA filters installed in childcare centres, in preschools, in creches, to provide protection for both staff and children. Thanks, Deputy. So in December of last year, I announced a 10 million grant program to improve ventilation and reduce transmission of Covid-19 in early learning and childcare settings. And that provided services with grants ranging from €1,500 to €4,500. And the rental or purchase of HEPA filters are among the items of eligible expenditure under this grant program. And guidance has been provided on the HEPA filters that are suitable for use in childcare settings. So the grant program opened for application on the 16th of December. Originally, the closing date was the 7th of January this year, but we've actually extended it out till the 31st of January. So as many services as possible could avail of the grant. So 4,109 services applied for the grant. And that's 95% of eligible services that made an application for this grant. So that 10 million grant program, it's just part of a suite of supports which have been provided to the early learning and childcare sector since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Other supports include tailored fundering arrangements during periods of closures and restricted access to services, a range of capital programs, an antigen program, sector-specific infection prevention and control guidelines, and obviously access to the EWSS with an exemption to the turnover rule. As we know, the EWSS rates at full rate is equal to 34 million investment per month, and the EWSS at the standard rate equals 22 million per month being invested into the sector. And that additional money has again allowed for sector-specific public health guidance to be implemented. Most, I suppose, importantly, the PlayPod system that has been implemented since the beginning of the pandemic. And there is strong evidence that these COVID-19 supports are helping or supporting the early learning and care sector. Recent data shows that the number of early learning and childcare settings that closed completely in 2021 has reduced significantly compared to the previous two years. Again, data from the Revenue Commissioners shows that the number of staff employed in the sector has held steady, and HSE data shows the rates of transmission within early learning and childcare settings have remained low, relevant to rates of community transmission. Thanks. Thanks, Minister. There is one very vital piece of information that I don't think was contained within your answer, which I would be interested in getting, which is how many of the creches and childcare facilities have HEPA filters installed? That is key information that the Government and the Minister absolutely have to have. We know from HSPC figures released this week that there were 251 outbreaks of COVID in childcare settings during Waves 4 and 5, and seven of these outbreaks took place in the first four weeks of this year. The figures I got from the hospital said there are 25 under five children in Temple Street at the moment, compared to nine children aged 5 to 11. In Crumlin there are 60 children aged between 0 and 5, compared to 24 between 6 and 11. We also know that the temperatures are in danger of, or are likely to drop again in winter, and in circumstances where you don't have vent filtration, the only protection that people have is having the windows wide open, whereas with filtration systems you can have the windows, you still need to have them open, but you can have them open less wide for less long and maintain minimum temperatures. Mr Proudspan. Mr. Thanks very much, Deputy. Deputy. Deputy Deputy I don't have the specific figure on the number of HEPA filters. I will speak to my Department, and I will see if we can get that figure to you as quickly as possible. What I will say is that this grant scheme was designed specifically to deal with the issue of ventilation. that providers were very interested, providers have been in touch with my department in terms of looking to see how we could facilitate them. We did facilitate them with this very significant grant and as you have seen from the figures I cited to you there, there has been a very significant take-up of this particular grant. So I believe providers will have been going out to source these, implement these and sourcing them in respect of the guidance that my department has provided in terms of what is the right type of filter, what is the right scale and size of filter for the particular settings that each provider has, recognising the very different size and scale of settings around the country. Dr Murphy. It does seem to me the fact that you don't have the figures illustrates the problem with this approach of establishing a grant and then creches and creche operators have to jump through various hoops to get the grant and then install it as opposed to just simply going out and saying this is important, we want to centrally purchase the number of HEPA filters, appropriate HEPA filters that we need and then distributing them into the facilities across the country. I mean can you at least reassure me that some HEPA filters have been installed under this grant scheme? Because I know for example in relation to the schools a couple of weeks ago a similar grant scheme is in operation and not a single HEPA filter had been installed as a consequence and the principles were saying this is a long bureaucratic process, it will be till the summer till we get there, is the same hampering the rollout under this scheme in terms of the creches. The final point I will make is just the importance of long COVID. We know about 10% of people get long COVID and obviously many of them will recover from that long COVID but it can particularly affect children and it means it is vital. We do everything we can to protect children as well as staff. Thanks, thanks Deputy and look I would say we have taken very extensive measures in terms of protecting children and the grants that we provided this December is not the first grant. There was a 5 million outdoor playground provided in June of last year and there was just short of 30 million provided reopening grant in August 2020 just around the time I entered this role to support the reopening of services following that initial large scale closure. So very significant capital grants have been provided to child care facilities all over the country to make them ready to make those services safe and I know that providers have implemented that. I have been in child care facilities, I have seen the differences, I have seen the screens, I have seen the various provisions that have been put in place and I have spoken to some in my own constituency even in respect of the HEPA filter grant who appreciated that additional support and the extra security and public health safety that that provided. I do not think it is bureaucratic, I think we have made this available as quickly as possible to providers and that is certainly the response I have gotten back from them. Let's move on our next question.