Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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603. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of preparations to reopen a school (details supplied); the status of preparations for permanent facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22237/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The permanent school building project for this school is being delivered under the Department's Design and Build programme. A preplanning meeting was held with Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council earlier in the year and this is informing the design for the project. Lodgement of the Planning Application will be the next key milestone in the progression of the project.

The Department has approved the provision of funding, under the Additional Accommodation Scheme, to provide for prefabricated accommodation for Dun Laoghaire Educate Together (and Red Door Special School) to meet the short to medium term accommodation needs of both schools and the pupils concerned at their current location. Some issues during the tendering process led to delays in the delivery of this project to the extent that it will not be completed for September.

In the meantime, officials in the Department have been working closely with the school authority in Dun Laoghaire Educate Together with a view to providing interim solutions to meet the needs of the school pending completion of this project. Having worked closely together in that respect, it was agreed that an existing building – a Dublin Dun Laoghaire ETB building on Eblana Avenue – would be refurbished with a view to facilitating its use for that purpose. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that this work was completed yesterday other than a few snagging items which will be completed today. I understand that the school authority will start moving into the building today with a view to relocating there no later than next Monday, 14th September as previously outlined.

The Deputy may also wish to be aware that the Blackrock Education Centre kindly agreed to facilitate the opening of the school on 1st September at its premises for the few extra days that the works on the Eblana building took.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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604. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on a matter regarding teachers wearing face masks in the classroom (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22255/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Department received advice from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) on the use of face coverings in educational settings on the 6th August 2020. The advice from the HPSC to the Department has recommended that face coverings should be worn by teachers, staff and students attending post primary schools when a physical distance of 2 meters from other staff or students cannot be maintained. The advice also provides that in certain situations, the use of clear visors should be considered for staff interacting with students with hearing difficulties or learning difficulties.

The only exemptions provided for in the advice, provides that cloth face coverings should not be worn by any of the following groups:

- any person with difficulty breathing

- any person who is unconscious or incapacitated

- any person who is unable to remove the face-covering without assistance

- any person who has special needs and who may feel upset or very uncomfortable wearing the face covering, for example persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental health conditions, sensory concerns or tactile sensitivity. A medical certificate should be provided to the school where an exemptions is sought on the above grounds.

Advice for schools on the use of face coverings is available in the COVID-19 Response Plans for schools published on the www.gov.ie/backtoschool.