Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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It is very important that any decisions relating to public health in the school sector or in wider society are made by public health professionals. For that reason, and with the support of the partners in education, school teams are public-health led. No adjudication as regards what should happen in the school environment is being placed on the shoulders of any school principal or member of the management of a school. It is important that the expertise and professionalism of those in public health are utilised. It is not appropriate for the Department of Education or anyone in the public sector to tell public health how to do its job. Those people do their job because they are the experts in the area of public health. That is what is happening in every sector in society and I would not expect it to be done differently in the school environment.