Mr. Paul Rolston:

I am not aware that specific funding has been forthcoming just at the moment; we have called for it as the Deputy heard in our opening statement and in our original submission. It is obviously critical that any of these matters will stretch already stretched budgets for all schools, post-primary and primary. Additional costs relating to that are going to have to be funded, assistance will have to be forthcoming and it is going to have to be picked up by the State.

As to general health and welfare, the stipulations that are going to be made by NPHET and the health advices will require at least significant handwashing and antibacterial facilities and the cost of that will have to be provided for. To answer the Deputy's question specifically, I am not aware of any funding that has come forward yet; I do not know whether it has for primary.

I want to refer briefly to the point on digital learning. At post-primary level, one of the big things was the digital divide, which was very evident, and the broadband deficit. Post-primary students probably do a little bit more work online and certainly moving forward to third level that is a requirement. In order to facilitate learning outside school and the potential of blended learning which may be required, particularly at post-primary level, these things have got to be addressed as well.