Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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330. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the process in relation to the return of testing and tracing within the education system and the way that will impact on the school environment both in primary and secondary educational facilities; if testing and tracing will be reinstated for those who are close contacts of positive cases within the school environment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57037/21]

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. Public Health advice remains that asymptomatic children are at low risk for transmission. Schools are controlled settings and the approach to contact tracing is risk-based in relation to the setting, age-group and the existence of other preventive measures. Public Health doctors have advised that the on the ground experience has been and remains that schools are relatively low risk environments and have not been a driver of transmission in children over the course of the pandemic. The household setting is the highest risk for transmission.

Unvaccinated people of all ages who are household contacts of a case must restrict movements (and stay out of work or school) for 10 days and have a PCR test at day 0 and day 10.

As of the 27th September 2021, a decision was taken by Government in line with recommendations from NPHET to cease routine contact tracing of asymptomatic close contacts in children older than 3 months to under 13 years outside of the household setting, including those attending primary educational and childcare settings. Contact tracing continues for those over 13 years, including those attending post primary schools.

If there are particular outbreaks of concern in educational facilities, Public Health teams will continue to provide support to schools should it be required and testing will remain available more broadly to children should it be required on public health or clinical grounds or following a Public Health Risk Assessment (PHRA), especially in special education settings.

It remains very important to ensure no-one with new acute symptoms attend class, and that all recommended infection prevention and control measures are in place in line with school Covid response plans.

The Department of Health and the HSE, working in collaboration with the Department of Education has announced last week a programme in which antigen tests will be made available to children in primary schools. These arrangements will not apply to staff in schools or children in post primary schools as existing contact tracing continues for those over 13 years.

Parents and Guardians of a primary school child, who is a confirmed case of COVID-19 following a PCR test, are asked to inform their school’s principal. The school principal will then inform the parents of other children in the pod of a confirmed case. No personal details of the child will be shared. These parents will be provided with the option to receive free antigen tests for their child, which they will be able to order for delivery to their home.

It is important that parents inform principals quickly if a child receives a PCR ‘detected’ test for Covid-19. By doing this, the choice to participate in antigen testing can be offered to other parents quickly. It is important that everyone continues to follow all the public health advice in using this new programme

It is not mandatory for children to participate in antigen testing. Children who are in a pod where a child has tested positive for Covid-19 can continue to attend school, whether they participate in antigen testing or not.

School principals will not be required to gather evidence of participation or of any antigen test results. Information materials for parents has been shared with schools and publicised directly to parents and this programme will commence shortly.