Paul Murphy Challenges Government on School COVID Measures

Thanks, Ken Corley. Taoiseach, why is the Government taking risks with children's health in our schools? Why is there no decision to have a CO2 monitor in every single classroom? Why is there no decision to have HEPA filters in our classrooms? And why has the Government made the decision, which makes no sense to me whatsoever, to say that there is something magical happening in a classroom, which means that the regular rules of contacts from COVID do not apply? Why, if a child goes to a birthday party for half an hour with another child who has COVID, they count as a close contact, they have to get tested, but if they sit in a classroom in the same pod for an entire week with that same child, they do not count as a close contact? How does that make any sense? Taoiseach, you have just over four minutes to respond. A lot of questions there. Some of the more appropriate, I would have thought, to the Minister for Education, as well. I am multitasking all the time. The Deputy O'Rear Dawn raised the issue in terms of the free school books. I genuinely would need to talk more about this, if I am honest. I think targeting of resources is still very important in terms of children who need additional supports in socio-economic disadvantaged areas. It is the old argument about universality of provision versus targeted provision to those who need it the most and those on the lowest of incomes. And given the multiple needs in our education system, I have no issue with increasing the number of schools, but I think there is a value in saying around the thresholds and can we look after other children on other fronts as well in terms of the variety of supports that we require from therapies right across. I am open to engagement. Deputy Gannon has raised the issue of close contact tracing as Deputy Boyd Barrett. I mean, public health advice is saying this. The government is not making this up. Deputy Murphy raised that. The clear explanation is in terms of the testing that has been done, relatively low levels overall in terms of school children, around 6 per cent, and the public health have advised them. And to be fair to the Minister of Education and the Department of Education, they have adhered to public health advice all along the way in respect of this classroom of children, and they are certainly not risking children's health in terms of any actions that they take. And on the air monitors, again, that arose from a special advisory group that advised the Department of Education in respect of ventilation in schools and the utilisation of air monitors. They are not static, they are mobile, and it is about having, I think, up to 10, sorry, 25,000 air monitors would have been provided to the system, which is quite significant in itself as part of the broader return to school protocols. Deputy Boyd Barrett, again, I have given my views already in terms of Clunking College, and the government does have a lien on properties and the physical buildings in respect of investments made in voluntary secondary schools. Deputy Barry raised the issue of the abolition of the Leaving Certificate. I do not agree with the abolition of the Leaving Certificate overnight at all. I believe in reform of it. I think there has been reform on an ongoing basis, which has dramatically changed. the Leaving Certificate we sat in 20 years ago, there is no comparison with the Leaving Cert of today. Deputy Dave open access to college again. You need to think through that. I don't agree with that. That would create mayhem overnight. We don't have the capacity to do that. Nor is it the right thing to do. We need to provide a wide provision over time that people can access courses and modules and so on. And yes, take the urgency out of the leaving cert that it's to be all and end all. But rather create the roadmap for young people. That there is a route to where you want to go through the variety of colleges from further education to higher education to modular based education. That is the approach that we need to do. I've met with the Minister for Higher Education recently, Deputy Conway Walsh, in respect of the Cassels report. And it has been given active consideration by the Minister and he's engaging with other ministers and government as well in respect of how we roll that out and deal with that now. And obviously there's estimates and budgetary context to that. I don't believe it's because the government or the education department over the last 20 odd years. I mean, 20 is on my mind today. It's not all Blink and Bluff. There are genuine issues there, but I will ask for the report on that from the department's building unit and I'll come back to the deputy on it. Deputy Cahill Crow, I'm not sure whether the schools have applied to the department or not, but I think you should engage with the Minister for Education. I think you've made a very very fair point in terms of the broader issue around the town itself and the two schools needing either expansion or maybe a new plan for post-primary provision in Shannon itself. I will work with Deputy O'Sullivan. We've already, as you know, opened two new special schools this year, one in Cork and one in Dublin West, I think, as well. And I think the sites are crucial. City Council has made a site available. And I think, yes, we should push very hard with the Minister for Education to acquire that site for another special school by Deputy Morfrey. We have to go to question 10. Thank you. Thank you.