Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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582. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has given consideration to reducing the Easter and summer holidays for schoolchildren given the amount of time they missed due to the closure of schools arising from the Covid-19 pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16672/21]

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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587. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans for the class time missed out on as a result of Covid-19 school closures to be made up at the end of the academic year and before the summer holidays are taken; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16712/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 582 and 587 together.

The scheduling of the school holiday periods during the academic years is agreed between the managerial authorities of schools, the teacher unions and my Department for the purposes of standardising breaks at Christmas, Easter and mid-term. This is important to ensure certainty for the school community about the dates of school holidays.

My Department has provided a suite of guidance materials, agreed with the education partners, to enable schools to facilitate the remote continuity of learning for all pupils/students in a Covid-19 context during periods of school closure. These are available at www.gov.ie/backtoschool .

The full re-opening of our schools for all students in line with public health advice remains a top priority for Government and my Department is focussing on the safe return of the last group of post primary students set to return to school after the Easter Break.