I join the Taoiseach and others in expressing the Labour Party's sympathy to the families of those who lost their lives yesterday, one of whom was 41 years of age, which should be a reminder to everybody in society that this is a virus that can affect all age groups. I also join the Taoiseach in congratulating, if I may say, one of our own in becoming President of the United States on his inauguration today.

The Labour Party is attempting to de-escalate the tensions that have been involved in the special education issue. We do not feel at this point that it is going to benefit anybody to point the finger, to blame or to join the attempt to create division between special education teachers, SNAs and parents. However, I put it to the Taoiseach that it is now time for him to get involved because it is clear that the Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, have lost control of the situation.

We were quite supportive of the Minister and the Minister of State in investigating the possibility of reopening schools, as the Taoiseach rightly said, for certain cohorts. We believe that the closing of schools is a profoundly negative thing to happen to children and it profoundly negatively affects the most vulnerable children, including those with additional needs and those in areas of disadvantage as well. However, from the start of this year, 6 January, an announcement was made on school reopening with no consultation. The Taoiseach should please not make liars of trade union leaders who say that they were not consulted about the flat announcement on 6 January. On 14 January, another announcement was made, before an education debate in this House, on the reopening of special schools and special classes. Again, there was no agreement.

On 15 January, at 8 o'clock on a Friday evening, a letter was sent to every school in the country on the reopening of special schools. Again, there was no agreement. Even since last night, we had an extremely ill-advised communication from the Department, with quotes from both Ministers, pointing fingers all over the place. Both unions issued a joint communication saying that they were still at the table and willing to talk. Comments from the Minister, Deputy Foley, this morning, suggested that comments made about one of the union leaders was disingenuous. The Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, made a comparison between this situation and the mother and baby homes, and last week she made a comment about non-SNA students being normal.

We have been doing our best as a political entity to try to be constructive. In the spirit of being constructive, could I ask the Taoiseach if his office would get centrally involved in this situation? Does he appreciate the severity of the situation and how dangerous it is for young people to be out of school for this length of time? Does he recognise that the entire reopening of schools is now in jeopardy because of the bad faith that has been shown by Ministers in their public comments? Will the Taoiseach also comment, please, on the potential for the next round of vaccinations to be centred on this area because that would give some comfort to those who are expected to be involved in this process? I put it to the Taoiseach that the Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, are now part of the problem and the Taoiseach and his office can be part of the solution. It is important for the Taoiseach and his office now to step in.

I accept the constructive nature of the Deputy's contribution, but I do not accept the premise on which he has based his question. I believe the Minister, Deputy Foley, has successfully led the reopening of schools in September to the Christmas period, and did so in partnership with management bodies, the teacher unions, the unions of special needs assistants, the representative body of students, and all of the stakeholders in education. It worked very well. There was a strong underpinning of that by the public health advice from the Health Service Executive dealing with the many anxieties various school communities had. It must be said that 75% of all schools in the country did not need to avail of public health support during that period. That said, it must be acknowledged that there is a very high level of community transmission right now and we are in a different phase of this pandemic in that regard.

It is not fair to say there has been no consultation. There has been extensive consultation between the Minister, Department officials, the unions and the representative bodies. Last week, various spokespersons were of the view that we would be in a position to open schools on 21 January. This was said publicly by some of the union representatives. Comments have been made about the Minister, which do not stack up, in terms of this being a rushed decision. It was not. What emerged on Friday was a shared agreement on the guidance framework.

If we reflect on the webinar, with perhaps 16,000 people participating, what does it show? It illustrates the genuine anxiety out there among quite a number of the workforce, and we must take that on board. It has filtered its way through to the representative organisations as well and a reassessment from their perspective and a recalibration of their approach.

I accept that we need to go forward on a shared basis. The Minister for Education will lead that with her Department and continue the engagement. I know that today the Minister, Deputy Foley, is meeting many of the groups representing the children with special needs and their families. I take the Deputy's point that we must not allow divisive fallout from this involving those who provide education services and look after children, including various interest groups. We must stand back from that. One of the most effective things we can do now, given my observations, is for all of us to do as much as we can collectively to get down community transmission. We are on the right pathway that way and in the next while, it might give us an opportunity to re-engage effectively and get the outcome that everybody in the House desires.

I appreciate the Taoiseach's response but he underestimates the damage that has been done in public commentary by the Minister and Minister of State. The Taoiseach mentioned the webinar last Monday, but I am aware of a webinar that took place last night. While this process was falling apart, the Minister, Deputy Foley, took it upon herself to attend a Fianna Fáil-sponsored webinar at 7 o'clock last night. We had a press statement from her yesterday evening and media comments this morning from her and the Minister of State in the Department that have been deeply unhelpful.

Other school reopenings are now at risk because of the bad faith exhibited and bridges being burned all over the place by the Minister and Minister of State. Their commentary is ill-tempered and must be de-escalated. It is now the responsibility of the Taoiseach and his office to step in because the Minister and Minister of State are not in control of the situation.

I do not take the same interpretation as the Deputy of the interview he mentions. If we get down to the nuts and bolts of this, much of what was proposed in this House formed the substance of the talks and the engagement between the partners and the Minister. On 4 January the Deputy said that if schools are to close, the Department must assess a middle course between having all open and all closed and asked if we could find in-school solutions for certain categories like in other countries. He mentioned children of front-line workers, DEIS and special needs students, as well as leaving certificate students, and sought vaccination as soon as possible.

I support much of what he says and it was discussed and agreed between the Minister and others. It included 50% attendance on alternate days, medical grade personal protective equipment, PPE, and special arrangements for childcare. The full range of requests made of the Minister were provided. That must be said and the Minister must reflect her position in all of this. I know she wants to go forward in the spirit of co-operation.

On the vaccination question, we are guided by the national immunisation advisory committee. The fundamental benefit of the vaccination is to prevent and reduce mortality and severe illness, and that is best applied to nursing home residents and front-line healthcare workers. That is a live and active issue.