Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In her speech, the Minister spoke about a significant commitment to schools from Government. I remind the Minister that it is Irish taxpayers who are paying for this package rather than the Government parties. From day one of this pandemic the Government has been all over the place and has lacked direction in its response to the issues facing the education sector. Since March, I have been asking questions of two Ministers for Education and Skills and trying to get answers as to how schools would be able to reopen, when they might do so, and when principals and school boards would be told the details. None of my questions was adequately answered. I was told time and again that the Government was working on a plan and that the schools would be told how they were to reopen in plenty of time.

The last time I spoke on education in the Dáil was on a Topical Issue debate. It was also at 12 midnight. The issue related to Firhouse Educate Together secondary school. Some 40% of this school's pupils have special needs and they are being forced to move to Citywest, which is a good distance away from the school's current location. I understand the challenges schools are facing but this school will be facing massive challenges. Again, we are waiting on answers from the Minister and her Department as to how the school will operate.

With four weeks to go, schools are still in the dark. An earlier speaker said that we have to be positive. I want to be positive. It is great that the schools are reopening but under what conditions and to what end are they doing so? Only today, both the TUI and the ASTI poured cold water on the Minister's claims that all schools will be able to reopen by the end of August. There are significant challenges facing schools. The TUI has said that we need to recruit more than 1,000 teachers if we are to have a hope of being ready. How does the Minister propose to do this within the couple of weeks that are left? Is that another burden that will be put on school boards?

A parent made contact with me today. She has three children. One is seriously ill and the school has said it cannot take the child back. Another has Down's syndrome and another, who is six years old, is desperate to go back to school. Again, there is no place for these children. What does that parent do? What is the Minister's answer in that regard? Schools are telling me they are looking for answers but that they have not got them so far. The burden is therefore back on school boards and school principals. The Minister has laid out her roadmap but it is not good enough for many parents and schools.

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