Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I appreciate the engagement. The letter referred to by the Minister from the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Tony Holohan, from 5 January states, "While the experience from September to December 2020 has clearly demonstrated that schools are in themselves a safe environment, the current epidemiological situation has deteriorated to a point where the significant levels of mobility and linked activity that the full reopening of schools would generate, constitutes a very significant additional risk". The CMO's letter was dated 5 January. The best health advice the Minister had from the CMO before then was from 30 December.

The Minister also will be aware that international evidence has changed. I raised this with the Minister in our meeting last Monday. Advice from the UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, SAGE, on 19 December clearly demonstrated that the new variant of Covid-19 has a greater risk of transmissibility by and from children in schools. That was clearly demonstrated in evidence. Public Health England has also released figures to show that children are at greater risk from the new variant. I note that this week, evidence from Montreal has demonstrated that one in five children had caught Covid-19 during that particular period.

I will ask the Minister again. The new variant and the current epidemiological situation represent a greater danger than that existing up until the point when we had this evidence. What evidence is the Minister relying on now to reassert, once again, that schools are safe? Or, is it the evidence that was previously given? I do not believe we can use the older evidence. It is too dangerous to the point of criminal negligence to do so.

I want to talk once again about the engagements with some of the stakeholders last week. It is welcome that today we have an announcement that schools for special educational needs students will be reopening next week. During this session I have listened to some of the Minister's party colleagues suggesting that this was the Minister's intention all along. I dispute that.

Last week, the Minister's intention was to reopen schools for 61,000 leaving certificate students between the ages of 17 and 19 years and for students with special educational needs. I will reference the current rate of infection among that particular cohort. The Minister will be aware that cases are surging among those aged 19 to 24 years. Given the number of students we have who are currently a little under that age bracket, why did the Minister believe that we could bring them back? Why did the Minister not engage with the unions at that level?

We have already reached the point where, having had engagement with the unions and the other stakeholders this week, we have come to a satisfactory conclusion, but that was not what happened last week. Last week, the Minister unilaterally announced that 61,000 students were going back in addition to the special educational needs students. Does the Minister believe that if we had the engagement last week, we would have come to this satisfactory outcome sooner?

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