Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their submissions and participation this afternoon. I have not seen the interim guidance they refer to but it is clear there seems to be considerable concern about management, cost and resourcing, as well as implementation of safety and new working arrangements. I imagine many schools will see many more difficulties than others, as they may have existing poor conditions with respect to ventilation, heating control and dampness. These would already exacerbate respiratory problems with children. I specifically refer to the use of Portakabins and overcrowding. With this in mind, I wonder if every school should have a Covid-19 officer on-site and in place to oversee the management of the extra work that was referred to earlier. Is it something that is being considered? There are obvious cost implications but would it assuage the fears of staff, students and parents?

My second question is for the witnesses from the ASTI.

They have noted that teachers' digital expertise is developing rapidly . They also said that nothing matches a live classroom setting. If we need to go back to more online or digital forms of teaching, what further will be required to make it a better experience for both teachers and students? Is it more training for students, more training for teachers, more IT support in the school or more equipment? There is a question of students not having equipment but what is the position in terms of the teachers themselves? Is it a matter of consistency in the platforms being used across online teaching? If, say, one of the software providers was to offer a service like Microsoft Teams free for a year to students and schools, would that help?

In terms of my third question, the witnesses have called for other new initiatives to be suspended while we are absorbing all of this change. What initiatives would they seek to have deferred or suspended?