Education minister to meet opposition over plans to reopen schools

Education Minister Norma Foley will meet opposition TDs as pressure grows on the government to clarify plans to reopen schools. File Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The education minister will today meet with her opposition counterparts as pressure grows on the Government for more clarity on plans to reopen schools next week.

The reopening of schools was delayed to January 11 in the latest restrictions announced last week. However, with hospitals under pressure and Covid-19 cases more than double the previous records, many government sources say that they do not expect schools to reopen as planned.

Sinn Féin spokesperson on education, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said there is "increasing doubt among the public" that schools will reopen.

“Personally, much as I regret it, I do not believe the department is being credible when they say schools will open as normal on the 11," the Cork South-Central TD said.

“It is hard to see how they can open safely. If the Minister for Education has advice to the contrary, she needs to outline that, and justify that.

“If not, the minister needs to come out and level with the public."

Labour's spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said that the Government must follow the advice issued by public health officials, but said that the Department of Education "must assess a middle course between all open and all closed".

He said consideration could be given to allowing attendance by the children of frontline workers or the most disadvantaged young students or those undertaking their Leaving Certs this year.

People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith said that schools should remain closed this month.

“In the weeks before Christmas, People Before Profit was loud and clear in our opposition to the decision to ignore Nphet advice and we have advocated a Zero Covid strategy as the only way to suppress the virus and stop the in/out of lockdown policy of this failed Government," she said, adding that closing schools would be a key aspect of this.

"Schools are not safe in this current crisis," she said.