People Before Profit are calling on the Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD, to appear before a special sitting of the Dáil’s Covid Committee this week in order to answer questions from the opposition on the reopening of schools which is due to take place over the next week.
Questions include:
What impact has the rising number of Covid 19 cases, and the new regulations introduced last week, had on plans to reopen schools?
- How will schools, which are amongst the most overcrowded in Europe maintain social distancing? Have all schools managed to acquire the facilities, e.g prefabs, that they need to ensure social distancing?
- How does the new advice to limited indoor gatherings to 6 people tally with putting over 30 students and one teacher in a classroom together?
- What is the situation with busing arrangements for schools? What does it mean when Bus Éireann says it will roll out the new requirements to only half fill buses?
- What will happen if there are cases of Covid in a school?
- Will rapid testing be provided in schools?
People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny said: “The biggest issue facing the country at the moment is the reopening of our schools and the Minister for Education has been largely absent on this matter. Given recent developments there needs to be genuine scrutiny of the proposals to reopen schools and questions as to how this will work from the opposition.
“People Before Profit are calling on the Minister for Education to appear before a special sitting of the Dáil Covid Committee this week in order to answer these questions.
“If the schools open and then are forced to close again it will be a disaster for parents. Given the decline in public confidence in the government it is vital that she addresses the concerns of parents and teachers.
“If the Minister refuses to appear at the committee this week it will be a slap in the face to the constituents, parents and families that all opposition parties represent who are seriously concerned about this issue.”