Results 6,001-6,020 of 6,207 for speaker:Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: Can I clarify with Mr. Ó Foghlú the timeline for the guidelines to issue?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: There is a fine balance between getting time to produce additional public health guidance and get the guidance to schools to give them enough time. I recognise the practical difficulty with that.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: Mr. Ó Foghlú------

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: One of the difficulties we have with this committee is that, as we are in different rooms, witnesses cannot always hear or see if a member is trying to interject. I just wanted to make Mr. Ó Foghlú aware of that. It is a problem we have in every session so I am flagging because members do not have much time for their questions. I am sensitive that we have gone a little over time...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I will cut you off there because my reputation for timekeeping will be out the window entirely. I will make the point about provision for learning for children who are not just ill themselves, but who are also living in a house where somebody is immunocompromised. There is a risk there as well and that is a distinct thing to somebody who is disengaged from the system. I call Deputy...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I will call Deputy McNamara, who has been here for quite a while.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: The travel question will be important this morning. To clarify, the guidance from the Chief Medical Officer, CMO, and public health officials is that there is to be no unnecessary travel but some families will find it necessary to go away for a range of reasons. Obviously, the crucial message is, if that is the case, to be back by mid-August for the purposes of self-isolation for the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I call Deputy McNamara.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I have a couple of questions and observations from the session. I ask you to keep your answers as short as possible - some of them will be simply "Yes" or "No" answers - because we have to exit at 11.30 a.m. On what you said about additional staff, can you confirm that those coming out of the teaching colleges now will be the main source of any additional staff needed over the next period?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: In terms of certainty for those people coming out, can they expect employment?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: We talked about immunosuppression earlier. A case brought to my attention, and which I raised at this committee previously, was of a teacher who has a new baby who is immunocompromised with cystic fibrosis and who obviously was not in that situation 12 months ago and did not know that would be the case. Can you confirm what arrangements are in place, or what is the thinking in respect of,...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I suggest that it is an important question and I would greatly appreciate if you could come back to me with an answer on it. Mental health supports were raised, and I thank Ms Tansey for highlighting the work being done. Much emotional support will be needed by different children going back to school, which may, in the early days, take priority over complicated long division or whatever...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I completely agree with that. It is not just about when they go back but about how they go back and the time allowed for that adjustment is crucial. That is really important work. Has thought been given to conducting cross-curricular work in the open air? From the perspective of greater ventilation there is a need to get children outside rather then have them sit in an indoor classroom for...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I want to talk about fifth year students who have had their education truncated this year and are going into a leaving certificate year. Has special consideration been given to how they will face their leaving certificate year having lost considerable time this year?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: The Department is not responsible for private schools but they clearly must implement the new guidelines the same as everyone else. Has the Department liaised with representatives from private schools, particularly the primary schools?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: Is there an organisation that represents them?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I wish to ask a practical question about the dropping-off and collection of children from the same family where there is either blended learning or school attendance for only a certain number of days. I ask that schools make every effort to organise drop-off and collection by siblings or grouped surnames so that a single parent, possibly a working parent, who may already have difficulty...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: One of the very important workplace changes that we all must get used to is what Mr. Ó Foghlú alluded to earlier about adopting a different culture whereby one does not go to work if one has a runny nose or cough. Also, there must be an expectation in the workforce that it is okay for a parent to stay home when his or her child has a runny nose or cough. We will all have to adopt...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I thank the witnesses for their attendance today. I wish them the very best of luck with all of their hard work over the next number of weeks and hope that it goes incredibly well for everybody.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: We will suspend until 12 noon when we will meet representatives of the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland for an update on congregated settings and meat plants.