Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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70. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of plans for a full return to campus at the start of the 2021 academic year; the status of the use of antigen tests to enable this return; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36856/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Government has committed to planning for a significant increase in onsite attendance in the tertiary education sector in the next academic year. Following Government approval, last month I published A Safe Return: Plan for a safe return to on-site Further and Higher Education and Research in 2021/22.

The Plan reflects the essential nature of higher and further education and training, and research activities, and in that context, provides for comprehensive on-site activity for the next academic year, with almost full scale on-site activities. In addition, contingency planning, based on a more restrictive public health environment, is also being prepared by the sector. Even in a more restrictive public health environment, it is envisaged that there would still be significant on-site activities.

At a very minimum, workshops, tutorials, classroom based activities and smaller lectures will be allowed and libraries, research facilities and labs will be opened. The safety measures which will be in place such as social distancing, face masks, ventilation will be in accordance with prevailing public health advice taking into account the essential nature of further and higher education and research. Institutions and providers will continue to put in place plans to ensure that the overall number of people on campus at a given time continues to be moderated.

The intention of Government is to strengthen the prevention and intervention measures around COVID-19. The potential role of rapid antigen testing as one part of a package of measures to support greater on-site provision is recognised, particularly in the context of the recent publication of the COVID-19 National Protocol for Employers and Workers, which notes rapid antigen testing as a possible way of strengthening COVID-19 responses and providing reassurance to staff and others.

An SFI-backed multi-site pilot study to examine rapid testing for third level students and staff in Ireland has commenced. It is expected that the study will provide learning on the potential role rapid antigen testing can play. Pilot projects are underway in four universities – NUI Galway, UCC, UCD and Trinity College Dublin.

Should the pilot study demonstrate the effectiveness of rapid testing as a tool, it would play a role as one part of a wider vigilance programme that could include self-monitoring in addition to other public health non-pharmaceutical interventions.

My Department has also joined a HSE-led Pilot Project Working Group to pilot approaches for the operation of rapid testing in education settings, including third level.

My Department has undertaken to provide Government in mid-July with an update of the progress in relation to sectoral planning and the expected level of on-site activity in further and higher education and research in the Autumn, including an update on planning with regard to large scale lectures. This will ensure that there is ongoing support for planning in this sector and that planning proceeds in a manner that is aligned to prevailing public health advice.

Following the update to Cabinet in July and in anticipation, at that point, of revised public health guidelines being available, it is envisaged that institutions and providers will be in a position to communicate their plans for a return to on-site activity to students, learners and staff.