A breath of fresh air with groundbreaking purifier project at Donegal school
Scoil Naomh Bríd launches Ireland’s first whole-school smart air purifier system aimed at eliminating stuffiness in classrooms and improving pupil and staff health
Donegal Minister of State Charlie McConalogue performed the official switch-on of the newly acquired smart air purifiers at Scoil Naomh Bríd in Muff earlier this week.
The Inishowen school is partnering with Smart Air for what is the first pilot project of its kind in Ireland. Not alone will each classroom have an air purifier installed, but so too will the staff room and PE hall, all designed to improve air quality and positively impact staff and pupil health.
Speaking at the event, the local Minister commended the staff and pupils on the initiative.
“I want to congratulate all of you on leading out on this project and hopefully you are the first of many schools across the country to have air filter in every classroom. Through all of the information the school is going to collect over the year, we are going to see the benefits of the air filters in terms of your health and how well you feel,” the Minister of State for Sport and Postal Policy said.
“It’s wonderful to be the first school and it’s a great credit to your school to be stepping up. I also acknowledge the important roles of Dr Ciara Steel and Caitriona Strain, general manager of ERNACT, who are working with you, and the support of Cllr Terry Crossan.
“I can already see the benefits of the filters. The last time I was here, the air in this room felt so different from what it does today.
“I congratulate the school on the work done in this room, which has also had a new floor put down. Breathing clean air makes us all feel better and gives us more energy. It also reduces the risk of us catching colds and flus from one another. Hopefully, the information that is gathered will be of benefit to other schools. Keep up the wonderful work,” he added.
In her address, Dr Ciara Steele said that 48 per cent of classrooms exceed the CO2 limit on a daily basis and the World Health Organisation limit for particulate matters - a mixture of microscopic solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in the air, including dust, soot, smoke, and dirt.
“This is a wonderful opportunity, and this is a really special school. We hope the leadership and support of the parents and the leadership of principal, Gary Foster and deputy principal, Karen McNally can show other schools what can be done,” she said.
“What you are doing here is changing. We have important political leaders here, but you are the leaders of the future and are leading here today. If you can change your health as a child, you can change it for the rest of your life,” Dr Steele added.
Other speakers included Dr Catriona Strain from ERNACT and local councillor Terry Crossan.