Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday evening, as I do on most evenings I am in Dublin, I FaceTime my kids, Aoibhe and Senan, who always have a number of questions for me. They asked me last night - genuinely they flummoxed me when they said: "Will you find out if we're going back to school?" Their mum, Regina, is a teacher. The Tánaiste knows her as straight talking. She had told them that she did not know and said to them to ask their dad on FaceTime. It is critically important that we get this right. The decision is the fulcrum around which all society is going to operate in late August and early September. It is the most important issue that we need to plan for and get right, yet nobody knows, including the parents, principals, teachers and children. The Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, said that this is the number one commitment, and I agree with this. I am not confident that this is going to happen, and I say this genuinely, given what I have seen from the Department of Education and Skills and from the Minister.

The Minister, Deputy Harris, announced recently a package on third level funding, which I welcome, but I also note his guidance. This is important. The guidance speaks of a 2 m distance requirement in colleges and a maximum of two hours in a classroom. Unions, principals, teachers and parents have all noted this. It is a precedent. If that is the guidance, and this may be it, full stop, where does this leave the opening of schools? Parameters have been set. The Minister for Education and Skills has not in any way answered any questions. The way the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Foley, dealt with my colleague Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin in the Chamber last week was a disgrace. One must be accountable as the Minister. Hiding away in the Department, doing briefings and issuing press releases is not acceptable. I have one question for the Tánaiste. Will he please ensure that the Minister comes into the House next week to answer questions on education? Surely that is not too big an ask. I ask that the Tánaiste would please do this. They are genuine questions. The way in which my colleague who asked the question last week was treated is unacceptable.

The questions people have around school reopening include how special needs assistants, SNAs, will operate. They cannot be treated in the way proposed. There are questions also around school transport, hygiene protocols, the curriculum, books and materials. What about children and teachers who are high risk with underlying illnesses? What happens if Covid-19 does break out in a school? All of these are genuine questions.

I want the Tánaiste to guarantee that schools will reopen fully in September. I am not talking about blended learning. If blended learning happens in September, it means that the Government did not do its job. We need schools fully reopened. I also want a guarantee from the Tánaiste that the Minister for Education and Skills will come into the House, which she has not yet done, to answer questions. The people need to know where we are going with schools reopening in four weeks.

See this speech in context