Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that. Dr. Glynn is coming to this from health perspective. Everything NPHET has done over the past year has been through the health lens. As a teacher, I must say that mask-wearing is very difficult. So much language is not just about what comes from the voice box; it is about the facial expressions, how the mouth moves and how words are formed. I know that many teachers and indeed, pupils, are struggling with this. I ask that the phasing out of mask-wearing might be expedited. If people look at their local bar or restaurant, they will see people are unmasked and they are wondering why the children should have to continue to wear masks. I know it is being reviewed but I think it could be expedited. It is inevitable that mask-wearing in schools will stop. If that is the case, as a teacher, I ask for it to be expedited and for some degree of normality be brought back to classrooms. Is there any room for it to be expedited or brought forward a bit?