Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Deputy McNamara. I am will limit my questions because time is limited and I have only five minutes. This issue has already been raised by several speakers, but the Minister needs to clarify the Department's view on the issue of special needs teachers. Will they be redeployed to provide cover within their schools? What will happen to those children with special needs who were being looked after by those teachers previously?

How is it envisaged that specialist rooms in schools, such as home economics and woodwork rooms, will operate? It will not be possible to increase their number. What consideration has been given to this issue and how will these specialist rooms operate? Regarding schools at, or well on the way to, the planning stages of building new premises, will those plans have to be amended to cater for greater social distancing and what will that mean for the building programme?

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