Eamon Ryan said he will not advocate for the closing of schools early before Christmas, ahead of the coalition leaders meeting with NPHET on Tuesday night.
Speaking on Newstalk’s The Hard Shoulder, the Green Party leader said he does not believe closing schools is a necessary response to the fears surrounding the Omicron variant.
He said he thinks the best way to tackle the spread of Covid is to accelerate the booster campaign, rather than introduce tough new restrictions.
“I don’t see our schools or colleges closing here,” he said. “Because I think one of the things we learnt from the lockdown is that it actually has an impact on children’s health and wellbeing and education.
“Our schools have shown the ability, even in very difficult and very trying circumstances, to be a safe place.
“I don’t see the closing of schools as being the response that makes sense.”
When asked about what would be discussed at tonight’s meeting with NPHET he denied that it was a briefing on possible new restrictions.
“It’s an update to get the latest scientific information and assessment of what's happening,” he said. “It’s really just to assess what is happening internationally and here at home.
“Obviously there’s concerns about this Omicron variant. The key solution or way of addressing it, in my mind, is the booster campaign.
“And is getting all hands on deck and making sure we get as many people with their third dose in advance of a wave coming. Because that will give better protection.”
NPHET is due to meet on Thursday to consider Ireland’s current virus situation with senior sources saying they expect further restrictions over Christmas to be advised by Dr Holohan.
The Chief Medical Officer is also due to meet with the Coalition leaders at around 7.30pm on Tuesday.
It is expected that Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan will be updated on NPHET’s Omicron fears.
Some have been calling for the Department of Education to close schools early for Christmas as health officials continue to warn over the newly arrived Omicron variant of Covid-19.
Professor of Immunology, Christine Loscher, at Dublin City University told RTE’s News at One that she thinks the best plan of action would be to close them this Friday.
Her reasoning referenced the need to limit the spread of Covid-19 to ensure schools could safely reopen in January.
She said the extra time off would allow for a longer "circuit breaker" ahead of the Christmas season because "the last thing we want to do is worry about opening schools" in January.
However, the Department of Education confirmed to RTE earlier today that "there are no plans to alter the school break at Christmas".
A spokesperson said: "The scheduling of the school holiday periods during the academic years is agreed between the managerial authorities of schools, the teacher unions, and the department for the purposes of standardising breaks at Christmas, Easter, and mid-term.
"This is important to ensure certainty for the school community about the dates of school holidays"
