Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will take the point on IT infrastructure as read, so as not to waste the Deputy's time. It is a valid point and I will see what more we can do in that regard.

In fairness, the issue of what the return to the campus will look like on site is a key question. Deputy Conway-Walsh will have read the framework we published. What we have said is that at a minimum it is safe to come to the classroom, workshops, tutorials, laboratories, etc. That will happen and it is not envisaged to happen at reduced numbers. That is because we have safely had people back in school classrooms for some time. The outstanding issue on which work is being done is the lecture halls. Even within the lecture hall, not all lecture halls are the same size, shape or construct. What we are doing over the course of the coming week is asking the sector to look at what modifications it can put in place to make the lecture hall a safe environment. I do not believe there will be a one-size-fits all scenario because the infrastructure is very different. Senator Pauline O'Reilly mentioned ventilation. Another issue is the length of time of a lecture. We know that the longer one spends in a room, the greater is the risk. Face masks are another issue. The sector is hoping to bottom that out and have an understanding of that by the time the Covid steering committee meets. I will stop after this point.

What I do not want to happen, which is what the Deputy potentially fears, is for the science students to all come back because they have the practical side while law students, who have a lot of lectures, do not come back. I want every student to be back as much as possible. I want the lecture halls to be used but they will have to be used in a modified way. It is unlikely at this point that there will be 100% capacity. That is being honest. It is likely that lectures will be blended in some way. I want to make sure that it is done in a fair and equitable way with everyone getting on site.