Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is an occupational health service provision specifically for teachers, and that would include SNAs, as essential workers. Those who are at very high risk can take Covid leave, but those who are at high risk should be at work. That is the position. Every school has a lead worker representative whose role is to represent staff. Somebody should not miss work for Covid reasons if he or she is high risk. It is only if the person is at very high risk that he or she should not work.

The person could ask the occupational health service providers, Medmark Occupational Healthcare, to review his or her status if he or she has concerns. Medmark Occupational Healthcare has a process in place for staff who have health concerns, which the Deputy enunciated. There has been comprehensive and intensive engagement with education stakeholders, including school management bodies and staff representatives, to ensure that schools open safely. Each school has a Covid-19 response plan and included in that are practical steps to minimise and prevent the risk of infection. That is the status in that respect.

It is important to stress, as I have stressed to the Deputy on a few occasions, that when we reopened the schools we put aside €14.7 million specifically for SNAs, caretakers and school secretaries so there would be an immediate replacement of those SNAs. Obviously, their role is essential. I thank them for all the work they have done to date in keeping the schools open and, in particular, looking after children with special needs because those children simply cannot function in a school environment without an SNA present. Their work is vital.

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