Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy has made an assertion that there was no planning here. There have been considerable plans put in place, all of them backed to follow public health advice. As public health advice dictates, we follow the plans as available. There has been no ambiguity there. Plan A, on foot of public health advice, was to reopen our schools, which we did successfully from September to December. Plan B, if that was not possible, involved considerable planning in terms of guidance and adjudication for schools in terms of how to manage remote teaching and learning. That was agreed guidance after considerable engagement with all unions and stakeholders. That guidance has admitted. Plan C outlined that if there was to be a partial return, the priority was to be given to the core group the Deputy mentioned, namely, children with additional needs.

I refer to the 40% cut that the Deputy and others in his party have made liberal reference to. There is no 40% cut in terms of personal protective equipment, PPE. The difference in moneys being made available in this term are as follows-----

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