Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing with Deputy Higgins. I also welcome the Minister to the House. It has been an extraordinary and difficult time for students, parents, teachers and all other stakeholders. I have a few questions to which I would like a reply. There has been much talk from the post-primary advisory group that has been established. How has that worked? Will the Minister be using such advisory groups to address the problems of reopening schools? It has been a very stressful time for students and there is huge anxiety and stress among them. I worry about the health and welfare of the students. I want to come at this from a different angle. I understand that we are all at home, and the one thing I have been saying to my wife and kids is that when this is all over, we are going to go for a break. The tourism and hospitality sectors are under a lot of stress as well. They are due to open in mid-July. I do not know whether this would be helpful for the advisory group, but maybe it is time to look at bringing the schools back a little later, perhaps into September. That might give a window of opportunity of six or seven weeks in which everyone could avail of that break. If schools are coming back in mid-August, there will not be enough capacity for all families to take that break in Ireland. There will be no tourists coming in from outside the country. We are all going to be taking a break on the island of Ireland and I would encourage anyone from the Thirty-two Counties to go around and see our country. If the schools are coming back that little-----

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