Holly Cairns
Question:865. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education the steps she is taking to ensure the safety of students and staff special schools and classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2580/22]
View answerWednesday, 19 January 2022
Questions (865)
Written answers
Throughout the pandemic and over the Christmas period, my Department 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 safely during Covid-19.
Schools are continuing 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.
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 Covid-19 capitation grant continues 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.
Where a positive case occurs in a special educational setting (special schools and special classes), Public Health will undertake a public health risk assessment. The purpose of this public risk assessment is to identify the appropriate next steps in the best interests of all of the children in these settings. This is in recognition that within these settings there is a higher probability that there are children with medical vulnerabilities and children who may have greater difficulties with infection prevention and control measures. However, the clear principle from a public health perspective is that children with no symptoms should continue to attend school or childcare wherever possible.
My 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.