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Warnings about blaming young people for the spread of Covid-19 have been issued, both by Minister of Continuing and Higher Education, Simon Harris, and HSE Executive Director Paul Reid.
This is a video showing a group of young people drinking and partying on the streets of Killarney, Co Kerry, which was widely shared on social media over the weekend.
Minister Harris said there will always be people “doing stupid things” in reference to the party scenes, but added that we must not lose sight of the fact that most people are doing whatever is asked of them.
He told RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show that it was not a generation, the youth, who were the problem: “There were no students in Clifden.”
Regarding last week’s “Golfgate” controversy, Harris said what had happened at Clifden was a violation of public trust that had created an “us versus them” attitude “that we just can’t have.”
Back to university
Harris said that most of the students were responsible and concerned for the health of their parents and grandparents: “College life is going to be difficult. We have to recognize that the virus will be with us for some time.
He said there would be strict rules when students return to college, but that they would vary from institution to institution. The priority would be freshmen, he said.
In regards to university accommodation, authorities were asked to group students studying the same subjects to limit contacts, while some tertiary institutions are introducing flexible accommodation where students pay only for the days they are in. the place.
Mr. Harris said he did not want “any trouble” as some students had been treated “badly” at the start of the lockdown.
The minister also pointed out that the SUSI scholarship system would give bonuses to students whose family circumstances had changed due to Covid-19, while the student aid fund had doubled and 15 million euros had been granted for the purchase of 17,000 laptops for students who need them. .
Head of HSE
HSE CEO Paul Reid also warned against targeting young people, saying that while the street scenes in Killarney were unfortunate, he did not want young people to be blamed.
Redoubled efforts were needed to win their hearts and minds, he told Newstalk Breakfast.
“As we approach winter, we must communicate with people with hope and confidence,” he said.
The country had learned a lot about how to protect the vulnerable during the pandemic. The impact of the confinement “was enormous for us.” But the country needed a functional economy, a functional society and a functional education system, he said.
“We need to give people hope and confidence, not fear. We are not on the verge of a second lockdown, we are dealing with spikes.
“The strongest message is that we have to live differently, behave differently,” said Mr. Reid.
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