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Covid-19 Pandemic

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 January 2022

Wednesday, 19 January 2022

Questions (798, 803, 804, 807)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

798. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education the steps her Department is taking to ensure safety for staff of schools in view of the high infection rates in the community. [1438/22]

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Réada Cronin

Question:

803. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education if on public-health grounds, her Department is sanctioning the free distribution of FFP2 or FFP3 masks to staff in schools; if not, the reason for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1574/22]

View answer

Réada Cronin

Question:

804. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education if she is satisfied that all necessary mitigations have been put in place in schools to address the spread of Covid-19 and protect the immediate and long-term health of staff, students and also public health itself; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1575/22]

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Réada Cronin

Question:

807. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education the reason that FFP2/3 masks are not being made available to teachers as a matter of course without the need to request them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1619/22]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 798, 803, 804 and 807 together.

Throughout the pandemic and over the Christmas period, the Department has continued to engage with the public health authorities and the education stakeholders in relation to the public health advice and the implementation of important infection prevention and control measures in schools so that they can continue to operate during Covid-19.

Public Health has reviewed the measures put in place to support schools to operate safely during Covid-19 and have advised that the Omicron variant of the disease does not change the infection prevention and control measures required in schools.

Schools will continue to operate in line with their Covid-19 Response Plans, which set out a range of mitigation measures focused on keeping Covid-19 out of schools and reducing the risk of the spread of infection in schools. These measures have worked very effectively to prevent and control Covid-19 in schools and to protect students, their parents and school staff.

The Covid-19 capitation grant will continue to be the mechanism through which funding will be provided for school costs related to the implementation of infection prevention and control measures. More than €158 million of additional capitation funding has been made available to primary and post primary schools to provide for cleaning, PPE and hand hygiene, enhanced supervision and employment of an aide for the school year 2020/21. The Department of Education has committed to ensuring that the full range of measures necessary to allow schools operate safely in the Covid-19 environment will continue to be available for the 2021/22 school year and has provided a further €109 million to date for Terms 1 and 2 of the 2021/22 school year.

Schools have been advised of the latest NPHET advice around mask wearing where it is acknowledged that significant protection is afforded by cloth face-coverings but that some people may prefer to wear higher grade medical or respirator masks which offer more protection. Schools have been advised that where staff prefer to wear medical grade face masks they can be sourced from the procurement framework in place for school. The HSPC have also been requested by the Department to update their advice on face masks in schools.

Public Health continue to advise that the two most important actions to prevent the introduction and spread of Covid-19 (and other respiratory viruses) is by ensuring that no-one with new onset symptoms attend school, and that all recommended infection prevention and control measures are in place in line with the school Covid-19 Response Plans.

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) has acknowledged the close working and ongoing important relationship between the Department of Education and the health authorities to ensure the education system can operate safely. The Minister and the Department will continue to work closely with public health officials and the education stakeholders as part of ongoing engagements for the safe operation of schools during Covid-19.

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