Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I turn to the issue of the medical advice we have been given about ventilation in schools. I was the first person to ask for ventilation systems to be installed. That is on the record of the Dáil. I handed the Government the programmes but I was laughed at and told that the Government would look into it. The Government is looking at it now nine months later after we have had children in classrooms with the windows open and the temperature down to 8° Celsius. They are being told that, because their schools are not big enough to provide enough separation distance, they must leave their classrooms and go outside to stand on wet ground under NPHET and Government guidance.

We have asked children to wear masks in school. It has been shown that, if a child wears a mask for that long a time, the carbon monoxide he or she could endure would be damaging to the child's health.

We have got to look at this. We have created safe environments and we have put guidelines in place. The Minister has spoken about medical advice. It has been medically proven that wearing masks long term is damaging to the health of young children. I will allow other speakers to contribute.

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