Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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311. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps schools must take in cases in which multiple teachers are absent on the same day; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60036/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has recently implemented a range of measures to address supply of substitute teacher in schools, including a significant increase in teachers on the primary school supply panels, facilitating post primary teachers to work additional hours, postponing CPD for teachers (other than planned CPD for post primary teachers relating to reforms in Senior Cycle examinable subjects) and, with the cooperation of the HEIs and the Teaching Council, supporting the availability of student teachers to undertake substitute work.

Information on these and other measures has been communicated to schools in Circular 50/2021 COVID-19 (Operational Supports for primary schools for 2021/2022), Information Note SD 0001/2021 (Further supplementary measures to increase the availability of substitute teachers for recognised primary schools – 2021/2022 school year) and Information Note SD 0002/2021 (Measures to increase the availability of substitutes for post primary schools for 2021/2022).

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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312. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will seek public health communicators to relay public health information on behalf of schools rather than relying on principals. [60037/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Education has worked collaboratively with the Department of Health and the HSE to support the delivery of important public health messages to school communities – students, staff and parents. Schools have been provided with a wide range of posters, videos and resource materials to support them and to support onward communication to students and parents.

The Department of Health and HSE lead on public health communication and the Department of Education will continue to seek to amplify this messaging to ensure school communities have access to timely, relevant and accurate information.