Of course people should take up their vaccine boosters and of course there is no silver bullet for Covid-19, but I am shocked at the Taoiseach's complacency, inaction and, quite frankly, denial of science when it comes to the issue of air quality and ventilation.

That is what it is. We now know that Covid-19 is an airborne disease. It hangs around in the air. In particular, it hangs around in buildings that are of poor quality and in which there are poor levels of ventilation or a lack of filtration of air to ensure air purity. The science is building up rapidly on this but the Government is doing nothing about it.

People Before Profit has been talking about this for months. Last week, we brought forward a Bill in which we are looking for the Government to establish minimum standards on ventilation and air quality. We did so on the basis of science and public health expertise. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has established that two HEPA filters in a room will reduce exposure to Covid-19 and other infectious diseases such as flu by 65%. In November, the University of Cambridge completed a study at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, where HEPA filters were put in for five days. The filters removed all traces of Covid-19 from the air. They then tested for five days in the same hospital without HEPA filters and Covid-19 returned. That is very strong evidence. Orla Hegarty demonstrated the startling fact that half of all those who have died in this country as a result of infection were infected in fewer than 400 buildings. That is less than 1% of buildings. I am talking about nursing homes, hospitals and industrial and workplace settings - meat factories and so on - in which there was poor-quality ventilation. The evidence is very strong. It is not a silver bullet, but it may be a significant game changer. Against that background, the Government is talking about using the minor works grant, which is probably just existing money instead of, as New Zealand has done, putting HEPA filters and air monitoring in every classroom. It should provide the money to purchase them up front and take the necessary action over Christmas. The Government should add to that hospitals, in respect of which the question of air quality is absolutely critical for the protection of the health workers who the Taoiseach was just praising. This is what the nurses and medical unions have been calling for for some time.

The Government acts on science all the time in respect of anything we do with regard to Covid-19. The Minister for Education acted on expert advice. A working group was formed and advice was given to the Minister for Education on schools. There is expert guidance regarding workplaces which was issued in the early stages of the pandemic. Public health officials have been arguing about good ventilation from the get-go. I quoted SAGE to the Deputy earlier. It says that it may be of help but it qualifies it significantly. We issued approximately 35,000 CO2 monitors to schools. In second level schools there is vaccination of students from 12 to 17 years of age. There has been a significant wave of Delta in primary schools. 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. However, it is not a silver bullet by any means.

The Deputy seems to ignore the advice that public health has given to schools or that the expert working group gave to the Minister in respect of ventilation.

The Minister got expert advice. Different publications come along from time to time. I do not think the evidence about the 400 buildings would stand the test of all public health officials or public health expertise, in terms of narrowing it down to that. Obviously, in nursing homes where people are resident for a number of years, you are unfortunately going to get a high preponderance and we found that out in the earlier part of the pandemic. However, that has been much improved because of vaccination, as opposed to having to lock down and stopping people from visiting and so on. The one game-changer for nursing homes has been vaccination. Let us call a spade a spade.

The Deputy can be shocked all he likes about other aspects. I am open to everything that works. I am for proven means of ventilation. I am also in favour of the principle of doing no harm in respect of whatever we provide or we put in. The resources will be provided where schools feel it is necessary. I was in a school recently which actually had another alternative solution which was working for it. It has not had a single transmission. It was Larkin Community College. I was shown the particular, unique construction of the school and the kind of defences there. The 35,400 CO2 monitors are in 4,000 schools across the country. We will continue to work with the schools. There is also a technical team available to work with schools as well.

Of course the vaccine has made an enormous difference. We have actively encouraged people to take it up, as has everybody in this House. However, it is still not enough. It is clearly not enough because we are asking entertainment, music, taxi drivers and all sorts of people to take the hit once again as we head into Christmas and asking people to reduce their social contacts. Maybe that is necessary but the Taoiseach cannot absolve himself of the responsibility to do absolutely everything he possibly can to reduce the impact of this virus and the Government is not doing it when it comes to air quality. When you go into a hospital for surgery, the air in the operating theatre is filtered precisely to prevent the transmission of infection in the theatre. Why does the Taoiseach think that is done? It is done because it works. It stops the transmission of infectious disease through the air. So the science is clear on this. It will definitely help. It could be a game-changer but it will definitely help significantly, yet the Government is delaying. Why is the Taoiseach not demanding minimum air quality standards and providing the resources, like filters, that will be necessary? By the way the cost of HEPA facilities in every school, in hospitals and in nursing homes as well as other places we know the disease has hit disproportionately would be a fraction of the money the Government is having to pour out on income supports.

I do not think the Deputy is listening to me. We are not against HEPA filters. We are for them and will provide resources for them. I have said this three times today already.

There are 50,000 classrooms across the country, between primary and post-primary schools. The Department and the Minister are adopting a targeted approach to address ventilation issues, which may include air cleaners, where required. We are looking here at air cleaners costing between €1,500 and €1,800, which we think are what is required for classrooms.

Why hold back?

These will not be the domestic-standard ones some people are talking about. They must be of sufficient quality and grade. The funding is there. Funding will be provided for it.

For every classroom.

Again, where it is necessary. It may not be necessary in every classroom. That is the point. I have just noticed-----

What of the restaurants, bars and hospitals?

I am sorry but we have given unprecedented resources to hospitals, to the economy and to sector after sector.

I thank the Taoiseach. The time is up.

Deputy Boyd Barrett must acknowledge that. He never has, but he should.

I am saying this could help get us out of this.

Yes, but-----

I call Deputy Shanahan.