Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I really welcome that. In fairness, the Minister, Deputy Harris, has worked extremely hard in the weeks since he became the Minister with responsibility for higher education. It is important to get the technological university for the south east. Carlow and Kilkenny are my priority, as is Waterford, with all of us working together. I really welcome that. I am glad that we will sit down to talk about the college that has not had the same funding for laptops, which is important too.

Has the Department of Education and Skills received any information about staff who were unable to return to work for health reasons? If so, are our colleges adequately prepared to replace teachers? Are there enough supports in place for lecturers and tutors, especially now we are going online? Given that lectures are going online broadband is important. I have spoken with the chief executive in Carlow, Dr. Patricia Mulcahy, who told me that the college hopes to do a few days on campus and some days at home online. What is the Minister's view with regard to that and are the supports there for teachers and lecturers? We are in a whole new world. It is so different now even for the lecturers, tutors and students. Normally a college might be able to fit 200 students into a lecture, but with the health guidelines a hall may now only hold 30 students due to social distancing, and rightly so. These are different times and perhaps the Minister would come back to me on that.

I had another question for the Minister of State with responsibility for special education, Deputy Josepha Madigan, but I will also ask it of the Minister because it is important. Has anything been explored with regard to the private bus and coach operators, who could certainly do with the business? The Federation of Transport Operators are only too willing to engage with the Government on this. I received correspondence this week on this issue. Given that many of us are now working from home and that courses can be done online, is there any way that something could be done to perhaps get these private bus and coach operators to bring buses of students to colleges for the few days they are in? On certain days students will be in college and on other days they will not. Is there anything we can do there to help? It would also be a great help to students since they may not be staying in accommodation if they are only going to be doing a day or two in college. I am sure they will all know shortly. Perhaps the Minister, Deputy Harris, will come back to me on that also.

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