Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2020
755. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if the board of management which under the provision of the Education Act 1998 are charged with the direct governance of a school has the right to close a school after positive confirmed cases of Covid-19 within the school and concerns of an outbreak; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32880/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraCovid 19 testing, and the broader public health response to Covid 19 infections in a school is led by the local HSE Public Health team. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre and the HSE have published guidance for managing potential cases of COVID-19 in educational settings, which includes the testing strategy within schools.
All schools were provided with the HSE document titled: “Schools Pathway for Covid-19, the Public Health approach”, setting out the approach to managing isolated confirmed cases of COVID-19 within the school community, and also the principles that will underpin the management of outbreaks or potential outbreaks and the aligned testing strategy within an educational facility.
It is important to note that the response to confirmed cases or outbreaks of COVID-19 in the community or in a school is the responsibility of, and will be led and managed by, Public Health HSE. All decisions as to appropriate actions following a confirmed case or outbreak will be made by their teams in the context of a full Public Health Risk Assessment procedure. This practice ensures that no principal, or Board of Management is burdened with the responsibility of making a public health decision in relation to the closure or otherwise of schools.
My Department is working closely with the HSE Department of Public Health to ensure that public health measures are acted upon speedily by schools and areas of concerns raised by schools are addressed.
