Mr. John Boyle:

With regard to primary schools, we only got this more robust appeals mechanism on Friday evening. Some schools had already opened by then. This was nearly a month after such a mechanism was sought. That was regrettable. We have received approximately 600 email queries per week from members since March but, as we have got closer to reopening, many members needed contact by telephone rather than email because they had sensitive stories to tell. In some instances, four or five different consultants had advised these people not to go back to the school building. The occupational health service, however, set a very high bar, which had been determined by Government. People who met the conditions to be considered at very high risk would not have been going into the school even before the pandemic. These people needed a lot of tender care from the union. Our officials spent up to an hour on the phone with each individual.

It will become very clear in the coming weeks that there is a significant number of such staff members. There is also a great number of teachers who are expecting babies and whose GPs and doctors are very concerned about their return to the workplace. The danger is that, if the appeal mechanism does not work properly, many staff will be declared sick by their GPs or consultants and will not return to school.

In the case of a school that has multiple absentees, even the supply panels with which we are so delighted will be unable to cover the gaps.