Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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425. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if secondary school students are obliged to wear face masks in school in cases in which a student has a condition such as ASD which precludes them from wearing a mask; the instructions to schools in relation to same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24869/20]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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426. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if specific medical reports are needed by schools to exempt secondary school students from wearing a mask; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24870/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 425 and 426 together.

My Department received advice from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) on the use of face coverings in educational settings on the 6th August 2020.It is a requirement for face coverings to be worn by teachers, staff in schools and students attending post primary school.

However Public health advice also provides that cloth face coverings should not be worn by any of the following groups:

- any person with difficulty breathing

- 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 must be provided to the school where an exemptions is sought on the above grounds. There is no capacity for schools to deviate from either the requirement to wear face coverings or the exemptions that apply. Students in these categories can continue to attend school as normal while observing arrangements in place to protect themselves though regular hand hygiene, maintaining physical distancing and the application of respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette.

Further information for parents and students/pupils on the wearing of face coverings including the proper use, removal and washing of cloth face coverings is available via the link: . Information is also set out in the Covid-19 response plans for primary, special and post-primary schools available at www.gov.ie/backtoschool.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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427. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if special supports are available for parents and students in cases in which a student is required to stay at home for health reasons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24871/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has published guidance to support schools in making adapted education provision for pupils/students with an underlying medical condition who cannot return to school because they are medically certified as being at very high risk to COVID-19.

The guidance for primary schools on supporting such pupils is available via the following link:

The guidance for post-primary schools on supporting such students is available via the following link

Overall responsibility for ensuring that pupils/students who are at very high risk to COVID-19 receive appropriate support to engage adequately with learning remains with the school in which they are enrolled. A number of options for facilitating this support are outlined in the above mentioned guidance documents.

Additional supports will be provided for these pupils/students through designated teachers from within the staffing resources of the school. Schools have discretion to manage and redistribute their teaching support resources in order to best meet the learning needs of their pupils/students, including pupils/students at ‘very high risk’ to COVID-19. Facilitating engagement with and among pupils is essential to their learning experience and maintaining their social and emotional development. Teachers can facilitate this through online interaction, providing feedback on work completed, organising project work that pupils can complete as part of a group and providing learning experiences based on pair work and group work. Early and ongoing two-way communication between the pupil’s school, class teacher, designated teacher where relevant, and the home will be essential to supporting the pupils’ engagement with their learning and their continuous connection with their classmates and school community.

While this guidance applies from the start of the first term of the new school year, it is intended that it will be reviewed by mid-October and updated to reflect any necessary changes.