Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the huge contribution made by all school leaders, particularly during this academic year as they continue to work to ensure schools can operate safely. The Roadmap for the Full Return to School provides for comprehensive supports across a range of areas to allow for the safe and sustainable operation of schools. This package of supports totals some €557 million for the 2020-2021 school year and includes funding for additional staffing, management supports, enhanced cleaning, hand hygiene, personal protective equipment costs and increased capital works funding for schools under the Covid-19 response plans. As part of this additional funding, specific funding was provided, as the Deputy pointed out, to support principals and deputy principals who undertake teaching duties in primary schools.

This funding provides each teaching principal with a minimum of one release day per week and release days for deputy principals in those schools that have an existing administrative principal for this school year. More than 1,700 primary schools with teaching principals have benefitted from the increase in release days.

These supports will remain in place for the remainder of this school year and the continuation of these supports will be considered as part of the ongoing measures required to support schools to operate in a Covid-19 context and to implement the control measure required to limit the spread of Covid-19 in our schools in line with public health advice and the annual estimates process for the next academic year.

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