Mattie McGrath condemns confusion over special school reopenings

Minister, I know that you're doing your best, but Minister, what happened last week, and I left Government Buildings meeting with the Chiefs at 20 past 6, having been there from 4 o'clock, when I arrived to Bray, the decision had been upturned, we were assured that special schools were going to reopen, and that the leaving starts were going to be brought back, and within 20 minutes the decision was pulled, and that was utter confusion. I'm delighted that Eastleigh Forster, the Trade Union, announced that they will advise SNAs to cooperate with the phased resumption of in-school services to children, pending on a number of safety measures being undertaken, and that's very important, because you know the mixed messages have been very, very disconcerting, there are legitimate concerns from teachers and staff in special schools, who have their own health concerns and childcare issues as well, so I know it's not simple, however I welcome the decision announced today, that's going to happen on the 20th or 21st, but the most vulnerable children Minister, who attend special schools, cannot do remote learning, and are being left behind again, and we should have learned from the mistakes of what happened all during the summer, children are regressing from lack of school routines, and the therapies, which are all based within the school structure, some are losing skills, not sleeping, becoming irritable, and self-harming, due to the frustration, and I'm sure you're well aware of that Minister, have been a moon tour yourself, children have to stay indoors now, because of the weather so bad, and parents are becoming increasingly upset, and many of them are contacting our offices, and other deputies offices as well, because they are just pure, just frustrated, and children are suffering so much, and cannot comprehend really, especially children, especially what is going on in their school routine, social activities are all cancelled because of COVID, and the H2C therapies, where they're limited, they're all cancelled as well, so Minister, I know you can't answer, these questions today, but you might give me some replies to them, in writing, at a later stage, and Minister, there have to be solutions found, and some of the solutions are extra PPE, more testing for staff, and for families, and support in the community should be offered also, so I mean, it's not simple, I know, but it should, the Leaving Certion Minister, again, huge efforts were made, and if it was pulled, they were going back, so there must be more cooperation with the schools, and indeed, Minister, I was contacted by a principal in Colossal Unisic today, as a result of the letter that you wrote to our principals, yesterday, on recent days, and telling them to send them out to the pens, and they're very concerned, they're very naive, huge frustration, and anger, at the content, and the tone of that letter, from your school self, and that's a pity, and I'm only relating what I've been told, and it's very important that you would engage with these, meaningfully, and properly, and those kind of letters shouldn't be sent out, that it was the first meeting, that they had, that there were actually anger, and, and, and, and, and, and, and I, it's really expressed by teachers, about the content of this letter, so that's good to review it, so the Leaving Certion, like the CEO pints have gone up this year, so it's going to be difficult there as well, so we must have a broader look at the Leaving Certion anyway, maybe now's the time to do it, because some people do question, the cramming of everything, two, or five years work into, into just two, two hours, or an hour and a half of an exam, so maybe it was time to review it anyway, so I wish you well, and I'm a bit supportive, and we will do all the independence, but we must look at our especially, especially, especially because they're so badly needed, and it's so serious, thank you.