Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The short answer to any questions about what students or staff members will have to do is we will follow the prevailing public health advice at the time. The way I think of it is that if we look on colleges as small towns, in effect, or indeed not so small towns in many ways, the rules that would apply in any town should apply there as well. For example, if a restaurant can be open in a certain scenario outside the gates of the college campus, then the college canteen can open on the same basis. If the pub down the road can be open, then the college bar can open. If sports activities can take place in the local town, then sports activities can happen according to the same rules. That is basically what we are trying to do. We have seen the success of how we safely reopen and manage Covid-19 in a town or a village and we are trying to apply that model to campuses. Therefore, anything to do with rules around social distancing, ventilation, close contacts and how vaccinated people will be treated will all be based on the prevailing public health advice.

There is significant optimism from our Chief Medical Officer, to whom I have spoken directly on the matter. We should remember we are living in a country where we expect to have all adults who wish to be vaccinated fully vaccinated by the end of August, weeks before colleges start back.

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