The IT this morning is pushing hard on the idea of 'stand-offs' with the teaching unions - plural, though as of now only the ASTI has sought a 'staggered return' given the huge numbers of the Omicron wave.

Unions and school management bodies will meet minister Norma Foley as well as Department of Education officials, on Tuesday, in advance of the planned reopening of schools on Thursday after the Christmas break.

The TUI and INTO have struck a slightly different note to the ASTI:

Michael Gillespie, general secretary of the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI), said it was important to recognise that a one size fits all approach isn't going to work.

He said there will be some schools in which 80 per cent of teachers will be available to work, and others in which only 20 per cent are available.

The Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) believes it will be necessary to utilise more student teachers to substitute classes in the coming weeks, as a result of staff members being out on Covid-related leave.

And all that seems sensible - in the sense that there's no single way forward, that individual schools will face different challenges and some will and should reopen on Thursday whereas others will find that next to impossible. 

But this underlines ICTU's call.

The Covid-19 stakeholders' forum must be convened "immediately" before any derogation on the requirement of close contacts to isolate for 10 days is granted to certain sectors, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has said.

General secretary Patricia King was speaking as essential services, including commuter transport, childcare, retail and gardaí, warned that services faced severe pressures due to staff absences as society returns to work after the festive break.

The forum, which includes representatives from business, education, health, childcare and social services, sport and tourism, is chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, and advises on the impact of Covid and emerging issues.

Ms King said there had to be clear links between the public health advice and any derogations for specific sectors such as retail and transport.

The messaging around that issue - of isolation is telling. For IBEC it is one of 'close contacts' being taken out of circulation and disrupting economic activity. For those at the hard end of this:

...the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has called for elective care to be cancelled until the end of January because of pressures on the hospital system from rising Covid-19 case numbers.

More than 6,000 healthcare staff are on coronavirus-related leave as hospitals brace themselves for a sharp rise in patients infected with the disease this week.

General secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha warned the situation in hospitals was "very serious". Staff were "stretched" and their working environment was "difficult" as it usually was at this time of year, but some hospitals were being overwhelmed. She said the absence of staff due to infection – or being close contacts – was also adding pressure and leading to "a perfect storm".

There's a small contradiction in all this. For returning to the other IT story:

Meanwhile, Ministers and senior officials expect the omicron wave to peak next week, with intense pressure on hospitals growing beyond that period.

Senior sources said they believe that the rise in infections though very large is along expected lines and there was no sense that hospitals were pushing "the panic button".

But what of those who are actual public health experts? There the picture is less rosy.

But there is understood to be serious concern amongst members of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) about increasing pressure on the health system at a time when the Omicron wave has not yet peaked.

One can only hope that all will be, if not well, at least better. But it isn't a given. And it seems irresponsible, as a first step, not to get the stakeholders involved as ICTU has called.