Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will be very brief. I was interested in Senator Buttimer's points about the schools and there is a certain logic to what he said. We have to be guided by science and by the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET, however. Personally, I would be quite reluctant to see that happen. It is incredibly challenging for working families in particular. It is, therefore, far better if we can keep our children in school.

I will make the point, which is generally accepted now, that one of the things the Government has not gotten right is the lack of filtration in schools. It has been a massive own goal, frankly. My kids go to school now with scarves, hats and coats on and they stay there all day wearing that gear. It is not conducive to learning but it is necessary because the windows have to be open. I am not quite sure why those filtration systems were not invested in last summer but I would suggest that we get them rolled out as soon as we can. Again, I agree with Senator Buttimer. There is no silver bullet here; no one action will fix things . If I have a particular ask, however, which certainly many colleagues, friends and neighbours of mine have raised, and that is to get those filtration systems into the schools. Let us use the Christmas period in particular to see what we can get done as quickly as possible in that regard.

I will make a final point. I want to be very respectful because I know Senator Keogan and get on well with her and respect her entirely. I worry about some of the language being used at times, however. That is all I would say. A common message we should all give is that it is really important to get vaccinated and get our boosters. In Britain, 1,000 people are dying per week at the minute. That is, therefore, a stark reality that all of us have to face and grapple with. That is all I will say at this point. I thank the Minister of State.