Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The phrase "where possible" is a get-out clause from public health guidance. We hear stories from everywhere.

We already had massively overcrowded classrooms, massive underinvestment and a huge physical infrastructural deficit before Covid-19. The term in the guidelines that states things should be done "where possible" is not possible. We are putting pupils and, in particular, teachers and the parents of pupils with underlying conditions, at significant risk. The only way we can minimise that risk is to dramatically increase investment, reduce class sizes and have more teachers and more physical infrastructure so that we can have the sort of social distancing that is possible for Deputies in the Convention Centre but is clearly not possible in schools.

I have a brief supplementary question on public transport. The current guidelines for 50% capacity present a significant problem. Taxi driver representative groups have, I understand, written to the Minister and asked her to engage with them. They have very little work at the moment and would be very keen to talk to her about how they could assist with the school transport crisis and deficit that exists given the Covid-19 guidelines. Is the Minister willing to respond positively to their request to discuss this with her?