Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is probably not often that I would admit I have little to say as Deputy Ó Cuív encapsulated exactly my views on this matter. If everything is stripped away, the issues involved are about public health for both the staff and students with special needs and education for people with special needs. I know parents and students with special needs in Limerick. What they have gone through with the lockdown has been horrendous. No group has suffered more.

We need to speak about going into the tunnel with one sole objective, namely, what can be done to put in place proper public health procedures for the teachers and the students to get special needs schools reopened immediately. What is the process that the Minister can adopt to ensure the matter is discussed in a quiet fashion with the media not involved? The media has a role to play but this matter is so serious that it requires, as Deputy Ó Cuív said, a tunnel. Will the Minister give us an update as to where discussions are at and what the process will be? Who will be involved? NPHET will have to be involved directly to give assurance around public health. Clearly, the unions, along with the parents' and students' advocates, the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, should be involved in finding this resolution. Will the Minister give us an update as to when she will be going into the tunnel to resolve these issues in order that students with special needs can get back to school?

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