Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy asked about public health advice and the new variant. At all stages, public health advice officials offer their expertise. They do it mindful of all that is happening from an epidemiological point of view in terms of what we would call the virus as we knew it and the new variants, whether the UK variant or the South African variant. All of that is taken into consideration when they issue their advice.

Mindful of that, on Monday, 4 January, prior to my meeting with all the partners in education, the public health officials made their advice available. They said they still regarded schools as safe places. Indeed, the Deputy has helpfully pointed out himself that Dr. Holohan made reference only to mobility in society. The Deputy has the letter to hand. Dr. Holohan specifically stated in that letter that at no stage did he revise his view that transmission was low in schools and that schools were safe places. He raised a question around large mobility. For that reason, it was on the basis of a mobility issue for all of society that the decision was taken to reduce the numbers and stand down a little over 900,000 people in the education sector.

The public health advice we received on Monday, 4 January and what we have received again this week confirm to us that in the expert knowledge of public health officials in the context of all variants and otherwise, schools remain safe places. Consideration has been taken of all the various variants. I will point also to remarks I heard personally made by Dr. Cillian De Gascun in respect of the transmissibility of the variant. He suggested at that stage of the weekend that in his view, the transmissibility at that point - that is what was said - in terms of the new variant was not over-extensive or new in terms of young people.

In terms of engagement-----

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