John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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364. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans for the reintroduction of contact tracing into schools given the rising figures being experienced. [55872/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The approach to supporting schools to operate safely during COVID-19 has been to follow and implement public health advice

Following advice from the Chief Medical Officer, the Minister for Health has requested that the HSE, liaising as appropriate with the Department of Education, establish a programme of rapid antigen testing of close contacts in specific primary school settings in response to the notification of COVID-19 cases, guided by agreed thresholds and criteria informed by recently published ECDC guidance on the management of close contacts.

The Department of Health, and the HSE in consultation with the Department of Education are now considering the most effective means of operationalising the very specific set of guidance that may apply to those regarded as close contacts in the school environment.