Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

What we have heard from the health authorities is that any increase in incidences of the virus have not come as a result of the return to schools. We have actually managed it well, both within the schools and the public transport and other systems we have been using to get our children to and from school. It has actually worked. We have not seen a spike and an increase. However, at the last minute the health authorities came to us saying that because they were worried about rising numbers, as an extra precaution they wanted to see a further change in the arrangements. As I said, that will involve something like 1,600 additional coaches. Some of these will be from the very businesses the Deputy is aware of which are in real difficulty because they are not able to operate services in other areas of the economy. The Government was willing to take on the financial implications and the organisational arrangements even though we felt the system we had in place was a good one, because it had not lead to an increased incidence of the virus.

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