Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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131. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to revise the plan for the March 2021 return to school in order that in cases in which there is a confirmed case of Covid-19 in a class that the whole class, the class teacher and any learning support teachers or SNAs who have been physically in the classroom will be required to isolate and be sent for testing given the high prevalence of the new more transmissible Covid-19 variants in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12227/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The response to confirmed cases or outbreaks of COVID-19 in the community or in a school is the responsibility of, and will be led and managed by, Public Health HSE. My Department has confirmed with Public Health that the enhanced Public Health schools teams will be available to fully support schools that have reopened, and that full contact tracing and bulk fast-track testing within the school setting will resume immediately for schools as they reopen.

In all instances where COVID-19 is positively confirmed in a school age child in community testing (referred by G.P) or as part of close contact testing in the community, Public Health are immediately notified and a Public Health Risk Assessment(PHRA) is initiated with the school by local HSE public health Schools Teams. Where COVID-19 is detected in an adult in the community, either through symptomatic or close contact testing and when initial contact tracing confirms that they work in a school setting, Public Health are immediately notified and the Public Health Risk Assessment(PHRA) is initiated with the school by HSE School Teams in a similar way.

The findings of the Public Health Risk Assessment (PHRA), which is undertaken by a Public Health Doctor, where a confirmed case has attended school whilst infectious, assesses many different aspects of disease transmission as laid out in the Schools Pathway document and this determines the identification of close contacts. This enables the most accurate and effective determination of the relevant information allowing tailored, measured protection and prevention of Covid-19 in schools

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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132. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the definition of a close contact with regard to primary schools in the context of Covid-19; if this definition has been updated in view of the high prevalence of the new more transmissible variants in Ireland and the fact that primary school children are not required to wear face masks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12228/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has no role in providing guidance of a clinical or medical nature. However the HPSC have published the following definition of a close contact in an educational setting

In accordance with current HPSC close contacts guidelines a clinical Public Health Risk Assessment (PHRA) will be undertaken for all educational settings where a confirmed case has attended whilst infectious. PHRA describes close contacts as:

- Any person who has had face to face contact within less than 1 metre with a confirmed case of COVID-19 for >15 minutes in a school day.

- Any person who has been between 1 and 2 metres from a confirmed case of Covid-19 for >15 minutes in a school day with consideration of other mitigation measures e.g. face-coverings, pods, ventilation, IPC measures or uncertain compliance with mitigation measures in place (assessed through clinical PHRA)

Contacts are assessed from contact with a confirmed case of Covid-19 during their infectious period - 48 hours before the onset of symptoms if symptomatic, or 24 hours before the test for Covid-19 was taken in those who are asymptomatic.

The response to confirmed cases or outbreaks of Covid-19 in the community or in a school is the responsibility of, and will be led and managed by, Public Health HSE. All decisions as to appropriate actions following a confirmed case or outbreak will be made by their teams in the context of a full Public Health Risk Assessment procedure.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) keep infection prevention and control measures under review in all sectors. This includes the wearing of masks by primary school students and it is understood that an expert sub group will report to the NPHET on Thursday in this regard. My Department will await the outcome of this advice from NPHET and any subsequent Government decisions.