People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny will today call on the Minister for Education to instigate an ‘On Call for Ireland’ for Education as it is becoming clearer that Ireland still faces dramatic challenges regarding Covid 19.
The TD will say that the signs of the Covid 19 crisis carrying on through the proposed reopening of schools in September are becoming more evident and that in order for schools to reopen safely there needs to be a very significant teacher recruitment campaign undertaken. This will be necessary for there to be adequate social distancing in schools come September.
Deputy Kenny will say: “Due to the indications that we are not going to emerge from the Covid 19 crisis anytime soon the government needs to immediately take the necessary measures to make sure that any return to schooling will be done in a safe and socially distant manner.
“To do this the government and the Minister for Education needs to instigate an ‘On Call for Ireland’ campaign for Education. We need to recruit many more teachers, on proper pay and conditions, so that we can safely reopen our schools come September and so that schools reopening will not contribute to increased transmission of Covid infections.”
Deputy Kenny will be speaking at approximately 16.00pm today during the debate *Motion Re Revised Estimates for Public Services- [Vote- 26],*in the Dáil.