Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is great to see senior Ministers coming before the House and giving ample time to sit with us and listen to us. In fairness to all sides of the House, we all acknowledge that. It happens with the Minister, the Minister for Health and others, and it should be appreciated.

It is a challenging time for the Minister and other Ministers. When we talk at parliamentary party meetings, she always mentions her staff and the effort they put in, and we all acknowledge that as well. I return to the point I always make in this Chamber. These are not ordinary times; they are extraordinary times. They are a time when everybody in society, whether politicians, parents, teachers, community leaders, gardaí, members of Civil Defence or whoever else, has to work together. Of course, we have to ask the questions, and sometimes they are difficult.

There is now a debate over masks. I have received calls but they are of a varied nature. I had a chat with a good friend last night who said her nine-year-old would not wear a mask. She said she could not take a mask off her throughout the Hallowe'en break because the child was wearing it, but then somebody in the school sector said not to wear a mask because it was bad. Another call, from Ballinasloe last night, related to a child who has asthma. I have been told that child will have to wear a mask but, of course, that is not true.

Let us come out with the clear messages now, not from social media or somewhere else. The Minister was clear, if my understanding is correct, that children over the age of nine who are unhappy with a mask do not have to wear one. I have every confidence in teachers and parents to work this out. Of course it is a challenge. I have a daughter who started teaching only last year. I acknowledge it is a challenge for all teachers, but there is a great will out there to help. Let us not lose that message. While there may be criticisms at times, and I know principals have a lot on their plates, we all have to understand that sometimes guidelines and rules have to be worked out. These are extraordinary times. When I talk to people at a local level, most of them clearly understand these are different times. Most of them now understand that no child over the age of nine will be forced into wearing a mask if it has special needs or feel uncomfortable with it. I reiterate that and I am sure the Minister will reiterate it if she is speaking over the weekend.

I will conclude with a few words about the leaving certificate. Covid is still not gone. I think my colleague, Senator Byrne, referred to this as well. We should not underestimate the statement the Minister made last year after her negotiations with second level student representatives to make special arrangements for that leaving certificate. That is still spoken about. My son completed his leaving certificate last year and he and his friends still talk about what the Minister and her officials did there. As we look ahead, we have to keep open our options in that regard, and I am sure the Minister will. I agree with all Senators that these are challenging times for students, parents and teachers.

There may be mixed messages, but I always say we cannot but have mixed messages with Covid because it chops and changes and there are new variants and everything else, so how the hell can the message be kept the same? It cannot be.