Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste rightly refers to what is happening in other countries. Ireland is not the same as other countries. We have much bigger class sizes. In some parts of the country, 32 pupils in a classroom is the norm. That is in buildings which in many cases were not designed for the new curriculum. We are not talking like for like. We are going to have to be imaginative about other locations in communities that could be used.

Funding for additional teachers and lessons about washing one's hands are important. We go on about the importance of the etiquette that is required, about social distancing and about washing one's hands. People have to have the ability to do that. Schools cannot be told to cover that the week before they open. There has to be a degree of information and it will cost money to provide that. If it is a question that we have to sit late next week in order to deal with a budget for that, we will do so. We cannot go into September without this being in place. Time will be required in order to put it in place. Will we get those the kind of details to which I refer next week? If we do not, we will spend the month of August with people rightly clamouring for the Dáil to return in order to deal with this matter in order to get children back to school.

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