Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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137. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has provided guidance or instruction to language schools teaching English to overseas students that prevents them from providing language classes virtually to protect the health of staff and students. [32121/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Government’s Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021 Plan for Living with COVID-19 sets out the Framework for Restrictive Measures in Response to COVID-19 for adult education which includes English Language Education (ELE) as open with protective measures at Level 2 and requiring all appropriate protective measures to be escalated at Level 3.  At Level 4 and above, this provision moves primarily online with appropriate protective measures in place for essential attendance on site.

ELE providers have been advised that they should only reopen their classroom settings where they are satisfied that they have put appropriate arrangements in place consistent with appropriate national guidelines to ensure it is safe to do so in terms of their responsibilities to staff and their duty of care to students. The Department has continued to highlight the requirement for the sector and individual providers to put in place and drive the implementation in each setting of a cohesive plan detailing appropriate arrangements for the re-opening of ELE meeting where owners assess that it is safe to so and in line with public health advice. The Department is continuing to engage with sectoral representatives bodies and staff representatives on this basis.