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Social Democrats education spokesman Gary Gannon has said that the “center aisles” in supermarkets containing non-essential items should remain open during level 5.
The government needed to rectify the situation by using adequate communication to “get acceptance” from the community, he told RTÉ radio. .
Gannon was responding to the comments of the Minister of State for Trade, Employment and Commerce, Damien English on RTÉ television Thursday night when she said children’s socks weren’t essential items.
The minister had been defending the government’s policy of ensuring that mixed retailers sold only products classified as essential.
Mr. Gannon said that children’s clothing was essential and there was no point closing the “non-essential” aisles in supermarkets today, as most were in large, well-ventilated buildings.
Under Level 5 restrictions, “Retailers with a mixed retail offering that have discrete spaces for essential and non-essential retailers must arrange for the separation of relevant areas.”
Clothing is not included in the essential items list.
Last weekend, Tánaiste and the Minister of Commerce and Business, Leo Varadkar, told RTÉ that the logic behind the ban was that allowing such sales to continue would be unfair to stores that had been forced to close. Retailers must comply with regulations that the Gardaí would enforce, he said.
Gannon also asked the Minister of Education to answer questions in the Dáil next week about safety in schools following the recall of more disinfectant products that were deemed inappropriate.
“The morale of teachers, principals, and special needs assistants was affected by this, leaving schools in a precarious position,” he said.
“We need leadership from the front lines to allay fears and make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Mr. Gannon also noted that many classrooms were not purpose-built and were in older buildings, some without windows or adequate ventilation.
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