Department of Education issue update on school closures amid heavy snowfall and hazardous conditions
The Department of Education is on high alert and are "carefully monitoring developments", with schools set to welcome back students on Monday following the Christmas holidays
Students could be in for an extended Christmas break as some schools are due to remain closed tomorrow due to the ongoing cold snap gripping the country.
The Department of Education has issued an update on whether schools will remain closed on Monday, with plummeting temperatures likely to make driving difficult over the next few days.
A number of weather warnings remain in place, and a Status Orange Snow/Ice warning for Carlow, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wicklow and Munster has been extended until 8pm this evening.
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Much of the country has experienced significant snowfall accumulations which has led to very difficult travelling conditions. Elsewhere, wintry showers and icy surfaces are also leading to hazardous travel conditions.
Met Eireann has warned that the next few days will bring a strengthening of the wind, with a mix of further showers of hail, sleet and snow countrywide, coupled with low day time and night time temperatures.
The Departments of Education and Transport and Bus Éireann met this morning to discuss severe weather in relation to schools.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education said that while it is anticipated that most schools will open as normal on Monday morning, in areas affected by severe weather some schools may take a decision to close due to local conditions and safety concerns.
"A decision to close a school is a matter for individual school management authorities around the country as they are best placed to do this in light of local weather conditions, which vary in regions," the spokesperson said.
"As school transport services may operate on rural, secondary roads, which may be untreated, this could result in disruption during a spell of adverse weather. Safety remains the foremost priority. If a school plans to close or where transport is affected, communications of all such decisions will issue locally between schools and parents or transport providers and parents.
"The Department of Education, along with other government departments, will continue to carefully monitor developments with the weather and engage with key stakeholders."
Schools in Carlow, Laois and Kilkenny are expected to remain closed tomorrow due to travel disruption caused by significant snow accumulations. These closures will be on a case by case basis and may not impact all schools, but many schools across these counties have already announced their intention to remain closed.
Closures will also take place in other counties, with some schools in Kildare, Cork, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Limerick also announcing closures.
The decision to close an Early Learning and Childcare setting rests with the setting’s management taking into consideration the full guidance and direction available from the principal response agencies, especially An Garda Síochána. Any decision to close is taken in the interest of child safety, having assessed the local risks. Some of the issues that settings take into account include:
Each Higher Education Institution will decide on the appropriate weather-related measures to take, having regard to the safety and wellbeing of those on campus, the weather conditions in the area, the availability of public transport and any other criteria they see fit. It is also a matter for the institutions to clearly communicate this to students and staff.
The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is advising that all third level institutions should keep up-to-date with the current weather warnings which are carried on all national and local news bulletins and in particular any change in the status warning for their area, as well as any national guidance that may issue from the Department or Government.
The Irish National Teachers Organisation say classrooms must be at least 16C by 10AM or within an hour of the school gates opening. If the heating isn't up to this temperature, it is likely that kids will be enjoying an impromptu day off.
And when the heating isn't up to scratch, schools will notify parents by text. The Office of Emergency Planning advise schools and early learning centres to carry out a pre-weather event evaluation to allow them to continue to operate during cold snaps.
The National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) met again virtually on Sunday morning to discuss the ongoing disruptive weather.
Keith Leonard, National Director of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, briefed Taoiseach Simon Harris this morning and is keeping him updated on the situation. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, is also being kept informed of the situation.
The National Emergency Co-ordination Group are due to meet again on Monday morning.
Emphasising the safety advice for the public, Mr Leonard stated: “We are seeing very difficult travel conditions for much of the country today. Even where roads have been salted people should slow down, drive with caution and allow extra time for their journey. Drivers travelling longer journeys should make themselves aware of conditions right along their route, as we are seeing a wide range of weather conditions across different parts of the country.
"Footpaths may also be extremely hazardous and slippery due to ice so please take extra care while walking.
“I would urge all members of the public to take extra care with all activities and to check out the Met Éireann and Be Winter Ready websites for further updates and advice.”
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