Senator Gerard P. Craughwell - speech from 29 Jul 2020

Thank you very much. Yesterday we had the debate on education and I received an email this morning from a very frustrated principal, indeed I've had contact from a number of principals, and the question has been asked is, will the school be responsible for taking temperatures of children at the point of entry at the gate? Children from some of the more affluent areas will be returning from continental holidays even though they'd been advised not to go on them. Who will police this? Are we going to ask school principals or school class teachers to police who can and who can't enter the class? I've been asked what of parental access to the school? Currently parents are only allowed in by appointment, will they be banned altogether from entering the school? I've been asked that after school services provided in some schools, particularly national schools, where children move from the class they've been in all day to another class, who will sanitise the class they're moving to and how will this be done? What about children who are deemed by their parents weak or subject to illness and the parents decide not to send them to school? Who will be responsible for delivering education to those children? How will it be done? After school sports and other services, how will they sanitise areas when one class is finished and another class wishes to start? There are many, many, many questions coming up on the reopening of schools and I think it behoves all of us in this House to make sure that there is clarity for the principals that will be running these schools. On the issue raised by Senator Buttimer and senior moment coming now, so I'll just leave it at Senator Buttimer right now. The Aer Lingus one, Senator Dooley, the Aer Lingus one. I did warn with Senator Barrett back in 2014, 2015, we were selling off the family jewels and we would rude the day that we flogged Aer Lingus. You had your chance. We will rude the day that we sold off the family jewels. Finally, I support Senator Higgins in the Social Welfare Bill. I don't know how we can run that through this House today. Thank you.