Schools and childcare facilities are to remain open under the new restrictions imposed by the Government in a bid to tackle a surge in Covid-19 cases.
Announcing the measures, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that "we will not allow our children's futures to be another victim of this disease".
He said the fact that schools were re-opened and kept open was due to the extraordinary work of the entire school communities. "They too are on the frontline and deserve the gratitude of the nation," he said. "We will continue to work with school leaders to keep them open." Minister for Education Norma Foley said the decision "recognises the overwhelming evidence from our public health experts, that schools are a safe environment for our school