Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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461. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the instructions provided by her Department to schools in respect of outdoor breaks for students under the Covid-19 response plan for safe reopening of primary and special schools particularly in the event of inclement weather; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24057/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has published a suite of helpful guidance for the safe and sustainable reopening of schools. Each school is required to have a COVID-19 Response Plan for the safe operation through the prevention, early detection and control of COVID-19 in line with public health advice. This guidance is focused on the practical steps schools must take to minimise the risk of transmission of infection and includes key measures such as physical distancing.

In order to facilitate physical distancing in primary schools, pupils and their teachers may be sorted into ‘Class Bubbles’ and ‘Pods’. A ‘Class Bubble’ is a class grouping which stays apart from other classes as much as possible. The objective is to limit contact and sharing of common facilities between people in different Class Bubbles (and Pods within those Class Bubbles) as much as possible, rather than to avoid all contact between Pods, as this will not always be possible.

Whenever possible, pupils and teaching staff should consistently be in the same Class Bubbles. Different Class Bubbles should have separate breaks and mealtimes or occupy separate areas at break or mealtimes. Movement of staff members between Class Bubbles should be limited as much as possible.

While recognising that each school is different in terms of location, physical layout and available space, school themselves are best placed to decide on appropriate changes necessary to maintain physical distancing.