Refusal From Education Minister To Go Before Covid Committee

Refusal from Education Minister to go before Covid Committee this week means no opposition oversight a head of school reopening

Serious concerns of stakeholders fall on government deaf ears

People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny, following correspondence with the office of the Minister for Education that she will not appear before the Oireachtas Covid Committee until next week, has said that this means that there will be almost no scrutiny or oversight from the opposition on the proposed measures for the reopening of schools.

The TD said that the Minister’s proposal to go before the committee next week was “too little, too late” and that serious questions from parents, schools, teachers and bus providers are going unanswered ahead of the reopening of schools.

The Dublin Mid-West TD said: “I find it truly shocking that the Minister for Education is effectively turning her back on the valid and important questions that the opposition have a head of the reopening of schools. There are so many questions that remain unanswered and parents, schools, teachers and bus operators have demonstrated substantial concern about the reopening measures.

“This is the biggest issue facing the state right now and for the Minister to shut her eyes to the genuine and serious concerns of all the stakeholders involved in the midst of a global pandemic is quite outrageous. There needs to be proper public oversight and scrutiny of the measures that the government is implementing.”