To ask the Minister of Education whether she has met with the Minister of Health to discuss how her Department and the Department of Health could work together to minimise the spread of COVID-19 in schools.

My Department and the Department of Health continue to work together to ensure the effects of the pandemic are minimised for our children and school staff. The ongoing co-operation between our two Departments has allowed various strategies to be implemented to combat COVID-19.

The most effective mitigating measure in relation to Covid-19 is natural ventilation and my Department and the Education Authority will support schools in prioritising the effective implementation of this measure.

My Departmental officials, along with their counterparts in the Education Authority (EA), have engaged with colleagues in the Department of Health to establish a Ventilation Working Group and a Ventilation Remedial Works Team is in place to identify deficiencies and take appropriate remedial action.

My officials will continue to work closely with colleagues in the Department of Health to minimise the spread of COVID-19 in schools.