Mr. Kieran Christie:

The ASTI members are not medical professionals and therefore we are guided by the medical professionals. Last week, when the report that I mentioned earlier in my contribution was issued, immediately after the package was played on "Prime Time", Professor Luke O'Neill from Trinity College was interviewed and he appeared to have entirely contrary views in respect of some aspects of that day's report. The system needs clarity. I am not qualified to answer the Deputy's question definitively, but we need definitive answers. Unfortunately, they have not been forthcoming.

There has been confusion in many schools on mask wearing, as the Deputy mentioned in his question to the TUI. On a range of medical issues, there is an element of confusion. There is an element of silence; it is difficult to get answers. The experts need to sit down with us - the practitioners - and the Department of Education and Skills to provide clarity on the questions I mentioned earlier.

I will not list them off again; I listed them off earlier, regarding things like the use of Perspex in schools or exactly whether, where and when masks should be used. For instance, there are jurisdictions in which masks are now mandatory in corridors. There needs to be a clearer discussion on all these questions and thus far we have been struggling to get answers to some of our key questions.