Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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666. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if practical classes at third level are still going ahead in level 5 given the high incidence and risk of Covid-19. [1244/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Government has agreed that Level 5 as set out in the Plan for Living with COVID-19 will apply nationally and will remain in place until midnight on 31 January 2021. Level 5 measures designate higher and further education as essential insofar as onsite presence is required and such education activities cannot be held remotely. On 6 January I confirmed that further and higher education will continue to operate primarily online with most activities delivered remotely.  In overall terms, all further and higher education institutions are delivering the vast majority of classes online.

As with the previous operation of Level 5 restrictions up to early December, those priority activities which can continue onsite subject to the appropriate protective measures, guidelines and local assessment include practical tuition, workshops and skills-based learning (including in relation to apprenticeships) and engagement with vulnerable learners.  In light of the recent deterioration in the Covid-19 situation, institutions will use their existing discretion, taking account of the public health situation nationally and locally, to restrict onsite attendance further, only allowing the most essential work to take place onsite. Local assessment will focus on activities that are not capable of being delivered through alternative means, and are time-critical for students and learners during this period. Reflecting the scale and diversity of third-level provision, further and higher education institutions are best equipped to determine where onsite presence is required.