Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Absolutely. There is incontrovertible evidence that students have been disadvantaged, obviously from an academic point of view but even more so from a socialisation point of view. All of the Irish and international studies are telling us that students are best served within the education environment. I agree with the Deputy's remark. The Government has recognised this by putting financial resources in place. There has been a huge body of work on the part of schools to ensure they can remain safely open. I acknowledge that effort and the support that has come from parents and wider society. It is very important that we have reasserted that commitment and kept schools open under level 5 restrictions. Again, this is largely possible due to the terrific work that is being done on the ground.