Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the speakers and the organisations represented here for the work they have done over recent months in very difficult times. It has been hugely challenging for teachers. They have worked very hard, many of them from home, to keep in contact with their students and continue to provide assistance and guidance to them. I welcome in particular Mary Magner, who is a principal in Blarney in my constituency of Cork North-Central, and I wish her well in her role as president of the INTO. The INTO is in safe hands with her as president.

I wish to follow up on the issue of vulnerable teachers who may find it necessary to stay out. Can we set up a process to deal with that at a very early stage? Schools will have to plan for that issue, and I imagine we would need to have that very much in place by the third or fourth week in August rather than trying to deal with it in September. I presume there is engagement with the Department at this stage regarding how this issue is to be managed, in particular if there is a teacher who is able to work from home and at the same time work with the school. Has there been engagement with the Department on that?

There is a second issue I wish to touch on. One of the speakers stated there has to be buy-in and I fully agree with that. What do people feel is the biggest challenge to that buy-in? Where so they see the major hurdles we have to cross in dealing with that buy-in?

The final issue relates to leaving certificate students. I asked this question this morning in another session. They have lost out on three or four months of the two-year leaving certificate course. What additional mechanisms and supports can be put in place for those starting their final year towards the leaving certificate on 1 September? What do the witnesses think should be planned to deal with that issue?