Mr. Michael Gillespie:

On the first question on public health, the contact tracing was not working well before the mid-term break. There were lots of issues coming up, including principals having difficulty contacting the HSE. Since the mid-term break, that has considerably improved. Since we have been meeting every Wednesday, we have received guarantees that the contact tracing that applies in schools is the same as it applies everywhere else. There is then a further level, in that a risk assessment is carried out when there is a positive case or contact tracing in a school. That is working but the HSE is telling us that inconsistencies are sometimes showing up in the way the things in schools are applying. On a positive note, teachers, parents and students are obeying the rules and that is why the levels of Covid-19 in schools are low. That is due to the dedication and commitment of the teachers, principals, SNAs and all of the staff in schools.

The next question was on what lessons have been learned. Lessons have been learned about the importance of education and of face-to-face contact. Investment in education is a priority for every country. The things we have not invested in - small class sizes, the quality of education, and health and safety in terms of the spread of tiny viruses that can have such an effect - show that small class sizes are a necessity. Smaller classes need to be the future of education.