Parish halls, community centres, and spare rooms to be used to ensure pupils remain 1m apart

Education minister Norma Foley’s plan is to be approved by Cabinet today. Photo:Gareth Chaney/Collins

Parish halls, community centres, and spare rooms in secondary schools are to be used to ensure pupils remain 1m apart as part of today’s €200m plan to get classrooms back open.

Education minister Norma Foley’s plan, to be approved by Cabinet today, will see smaller second-level classes “stripped out” of excess furniture and materials to ensure the proper social distancing is maintained when schools reopen on August 31, according to senior Government sources.