Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister, Deputy Foley, could confirm if she had bothered to stay for a debate she was specifically included in, I have been questioning her on air quality and safety in our schools using the parliamentary question system for a long time now because I am deeply concerned at her Department's attitude to safety in our schools. I am relieved that, at long last, it seems HEPA filtration is being addressed but I cannot understand why, even at the 11th hour, with Omicron upon us, the onus is being put on schools to apply. Given the Department’s delay and the urgency of the situation, I do not see why the Minister cannot announce today that the Government will buy the HEPA filters and deliver them to schools over the Christmas break. We bailed out the banks overnight so surely we can get HEPA filters to schools over the Christmas break to protect our children from the long-term effects of a novel virus. We all want our schools open but we want them open safely. Repeating the mantra that schools are safe did not make them so. Defending poor decisions can never supersede our children's safety.

Ethics are also crucial to education. Our children can see a virus that is blazing through countries in the global South because we, in our vaccinated comfort, allow it. The lack of action on the TRIPS waiver has tripped us up, resulting in Omicron. Last night, the Seanad Opposition had a Private Members’ motion supporting the TRIPS waiver and thanks to a Fianna Fáil Senator and a Green Party Senator who spoke against the Government amendment, the Government withdrew that mean-spirited amendment. We should remember it was the tax of workers that paid for the research and development that went into the vaccine.

I pay tribute to Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and our MEP, Chris MacManus, for their work on No Profit On Pandemic and A People's Vaccine in Europe. With the Christmas season upon us, I urge Fianna Fáil and the Greens to press Fine Gael on its resistance to sharing and its chilling belief that inequality is good for the capitalist economic model. Greed is not who we are. We are a small island but we are a great one and a generous one. Sharing is who we are. We must work to make sure our shared world is vaccinated. I too was boosted last weekend. I commend the many volunteers for their efforts, despite some having to take abuse. We really need to commend them. I thank our healthcare workers, who are once again courageously facing another variant to protect our people this season. I know from Naas General Hospital that it is their solidarity to each other that is keeping them going. I salute each and every one of them.

Nollaig shona to everyone here and across our small, great and generous Ireland.

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