Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

My Department has undertaken research on the impact of the lockdown on young children. We carried out detailed research with SpunOut, How's your Head, which was both qualitative and quantitative in nature and by means of which we engaged with thousands of young people. The outcome of that influenced the Framework for Reopening and Operating Schools that was launched some months ago, obviously in a different context to the one we are in today. Research has been done and it is influencing what Government is doing. It influenced both the decision to reopen schools in September and our determination to keep schools open because we believe in the mental health benefits for children of meeting their friends.

The Deputy also spoke about the degree of observance. Children sit in front of a teacher and a teacher is often the first port of call as regards spotting telltale signs of potential domestic violence. That observance was not there during the three and a half months children were out of school. That is one of the reasons we are insisting on keeping schools open as much as possible. As regards information, the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, will be working on a renewal of information campaigns about services available for victims of domestic violence.

See this speech in context