Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is correct that it is best when we have worked collectively and collegially. That is recognised. It has helped us in the last year and ten months of managing this Covid pandemic and we should keep doing that. The Deputy is also correct that it is important that we keep all of our education establishments open, including at third level as well as primary and post-primary levels because they all have a critical role. The Deputy is correct in saying that our schools are under pressure, particularly in terms of availability of staff. I have been briefed by my colleague, Deputy Ó Cathasaigh, a former primary school teacher, that there is a real stress in terms of availability in that regard. The Department of Education recognises that and in response it has increased the substitute panel, which I know is under pressure, to 480 places. The Department has written to 111,000 teachers via the Teaching Council to see if there are teachers who are out of work for a variety of reasons, including retirement, who might be willing and able to return. It has also written to the higher level education colleges to see if those studying primary school teaching, without getting in the way of their important studies, could help to close that gap. Last but not least, it is waiving the rules and restrictions around job-sharing and career breaks in order to get those people back into the system. All of this is being done because there is real pressure on the schools and we recognise that. That will, and has to be, managed.

Similarly, I agree with the Deputy with regard to the need for antigen testing within schools. There will be an announcement this week. It has been complex and difficult. We all know that we have had to follow public health advice on this throughout this crisis. There are concerns that people may use antigen tests in the wrong way in that they may be taking them when symptomatic. We need to be identifying those who are not symptomatic, but test positive. We need to get that right such that it does not get in the way of public health guidance. There will be an announcement this week, followed by delivery of that system to our schools.

On the booster vaccines, this goes back to a certain extent to earlier discussions at the first roll-out of the vaccines. My view is that the approach NIAC has advised in terms of the ordering of delivery of boosters has been the correct one. NIAC has shown really clear evidence that boosters do work, that vaccines work. Those in our hospitals, in particular those in the ICU, are typically people who are either unvaccinated or they have an underlying condition. The vaccines are keeping people out of hospital and out of ICU. The boosters will do that even more. We should follow the advice of NIAC on the ordering of boosters in terms of best protection of public health. I do not think we should make any variation or deviation from that advice. If NIAC revises it, so be it, but I do not expect it will do so. The approach that NIAC has taken, and we have taken, to follow public health advice has been the right one.

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