Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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733. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the person or body in a school setting responsible for the management of and adherence with National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET, advice. [20852/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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On Monday, 27th July, my Department published the report to Government "Reopening Our Schools, The Roadmap for the Full Return to School".  

This Roadmap set outs how schools will reopen for all students from the end of August and what the operation of our schools will look like and be sustainable in a COVID-19 context.  It has been developed in line with public health advice issued by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), the Roadmap for Society and Business, and follows comprehensive and intensive engagement with education stakeholders including the school management bodies and staff representatives. 

My Department has developed a suite of guidance for schools including the provision of templates to assist school authorities to prepare their school for a full reopening in late August. One of those templates involves Covid-19 Response Plans and all schools are required to have one in place. The Covid-19 Response Plan details the policies and practices necessary for a school to meet the Government's 'Return to Work Safely Protocol', the Department of Education plan for school reopening and to prevent the introduction and spread of Covid-19 in the school environment. 

The response plan also provides for the appointment of a Lead Worker Representative (LWR) in each school as required by the return to work safely protocol. The LWR will work in collaboration with the school authorities to assist in the implementation of measures to prevent the spread of COVID -19 and monitor adherence to those measures and to be involved in communicating the health advice around COVID-19 in the school.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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734. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if schools will be provided with additional financial resources to source the necessary hand sanitiser, deep cleaning of their buildings and personal protective equipment, PPE, equipment locally. [20853/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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On Monday, 27th July, my Department published the report to Government "Reopening Our Schools, The Roadmap for the Full Return to School".  

My Department is also providing capital and current funding of an additional €377 million to support the safe and sustainable reopening of schools under the Roadmap. 

This funding includes €52 million for schools to put in place enhanced cleaning and hygiene measures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools. Enhanced grants are being made available for cleaning to schools with special classes and special schools.

 Funding of approx. €84.7 million so that schools can employ replacement teaching staff, SNA and administrative staff. There will be additional funding of €41.2 million, for substitution in primary schools. This will provide more certainty on the availability of substitutes for primary schools and cover substitutions that are not covered by existing schemes. The Supply Panel Scheme will be expanded nationwide and I am allocating 200 posts to provide substitute cover through these panels. The purpose of supply panels is to support schools to manage the sick leave and other absences by having a supply of teachers to meet substitution needs when required. Schools will continue to be able to access substitute teachers through the normal process, particularly if they are not connected to a supply panel.

 Other funding measures for primary schools include release days for teaching principals which equates to one release day per week and release time for deputy principals in primary schools with an admin principal.  

There is also funding of €40m for enhanced supervision for post primary schools to minimise the interaction of students from different classes, in line with public health advice. An additional 1,080 teaching posts at post-primary level at a cost of €53 million will be provided to support the important work of teaching and learning and provide additional teachers needed to support teacher substitution, management of physical distancing requirements by reallocating class timetables in schools to smaller groups class sizes where necessary.

Funding of €4.2 million will also be made available to enable schools to employ an aide to assist with implementing logistical changes. €3.8m is being made available to ensure that schools have lead worker representatives, whose role is to support the school to limit the risk of COVID-19 infections. 

I also recognise that the full implementation of the COVID-19 Response Plans for Schools, and the Public Health Advice, may require some reconfiguration works within schools. To support this work, a once off enhanced minor works grant will paid to all primary schools by mid-August.  There is a one off €75 million capital allocation to support schools to prepare their buildings and classrooms for reopening including an uplift for schools with SEN pupils.

In providing funding to schools in this way, schools will have the necessary flexibility to implement necessary physical measures in their school quickly in compliance with the Public Health Advice and the Roadmap.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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735. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the necessary hand sanitiser, deep cleaning of their buildings and personal protective equipment, PPE, equipment for schools will be sourced centrally. [20854/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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On 14th June the Department published a Request for Information (RFI) to identify PPE, Consumables and Equipment Suppliers to support the Education Sector. This procurement has been managed as a negotiated procedure under Article 32 for the 2016 Procurement Regulations in order to secure supplies in time to reopen the Sectors schools and institutions.  

The process has identified a number of suppliers that are capable of providing the full suite of core products required by the return to school roadmap and this is considered the most favourable solution to meet the aggregated needs of the number and geographic spread of Educational Institutions – including schools - right across the State.  

The Government has just published the Roadmap for the Full Return to School which outlines how schools will reopen from the end of August. It also outlines how schools will be able to access their PPE requirements from suppliers (under the Education Sector supply agreement) from early August in advance of reopening.  Further guidance will issue to the Sector once the procurement process is complete.