Today we learned that 10,000 of the air monitors due for delivery in schools across the country are defective and now we have a scramble to see how quickly replacements can be found. The mid-September deadline will be missed, similar to the original deadline of the first week of September. The Minister, Deputy Foley, said at the end of August that the order was put in three months ago but there was international demand during a global pandemic that apparently could not be avoided. This has happened even though the Health Protection Surveillance Centre recommended the use of air quality monitors in classrooms back in October 2020 and the teacher unions were raising the issue of monitors in November 2020. When I asked the Minister about this in December 2020 in a parliamentary question, she replied that the Department "does not consider it necessary for schools to install such monitors in classrooms", but it was "a matter for individual schools to consider whether they wish to use some of their minor works grant funding for this purpose".

The Taoiseach to reply.

I wish that was the only issue but it comes on top of the fact that 12,000 children are not in school because of being a close contact. How many parents does that mean are being forced to stay at home?

The time is up, Deputy.

My question is whether the Taoiseach is satisfied that enough has been done to help schools.

Thank you, Deputy. Your time is up.

Across the country, the suspicion is that the Government has failed our schools.

I think that is the wrong perception. We have moved heaven and earth in trying to provide resources, last year for the return of schools and likewise this year. We need to be balanced and fair about this.

In terms of the specific question, 25,000 CO2 monitors were ordered and will be provided to schools by the end of this week. This enables all schools to have some CO2 monitors, with the full allocation of monitors in 96% of primary schools and at least ten monitors being provided to the other 4% of medium to large primary schools and in each post-primary school. The manufacturing delay the Deputy speaks of with the last batch of 10,000 monitors is outside the control of the Department of Education. However, progress has been made on sourcing alternative supplier options to minimise the delay as much as possible. Lennox Laboratory Supplies Limited is managing the detailed arrangements and logistics for the supply and distribution of CO2 monitors to schools. The following is the expected position on the roll-out of CO2 monitors to schools by this Friday, 17 September: at primary level, 96% of schools, including all special schools, will have received their full allocation of CO2 monitors.

Thank you, Taoiseach.

I have mentioned the 4% already. At post-primary level-----

I call Deputy Barry.

-----each of the schools will have received at least ten CO2 monitors.