Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We often hear about a lack of consultation with many other sectors so that is good to hear.

What are the witnesses' opinions in general on the reopening of schools? I ask this mainly as a parent. Children have been out of school now since 12 March. Notwithstanding the academic issues and the fact that certain people are more nervous about the risks of Covid-19, it has been a long time since kids experienced the school rush, the basic routine of getting up and going out to school in the morning. They have been totally isolated from friends, although we are seeing a little bit of a return to normality in that regard. Many children who might have been at home all the time, particularly children in rural areas, will have struggled with learning from home. I will return to the issue of learning from home. What are the witnesses' opinions on the practicalities of getting kids back to school? I do not believe schools will be able to open in September for five days a week. As much as we all want that for our children and their development and to allow parents to get back to work, that is not a realistic approach. What are the witnesses' opinions on that? Should we consider having a two-day or three-day week for a certain amount of time to ease children back into school given that it will be a serious shock to the system?