Officials are in talks with teachers’ unions about safe ways to reopen schools for the next academic year.
Today’s talks are focusing on hygiene, cleaning and staff training as schools prepare to reopen in late August.
A Department of Education spokesperson said digital meetings with unions and school management bodies are happening on an ongoing basis.
They are focusing on the movement of staff and students within schools, the operation of schools in a post-COVID world and the logistics of following the Return to Work protocol.
This day last week, the Taoiseach confirmed that schools would be opened on a phased basis form the end of the August.
Leo Varadkar said the reopening was “not no-risk but is low-risk” and insisted officials were learning form the experience of other countries that have already sent children back to education.
Meanwhile, he said officials were “making good progress” on a plan to put a summer education programme for children with special needs in place in the coming months.
Further details on that plan are expected to be announced this afternoon, when Mr Varadkar confirms that Phase Two of the roadmap for reopening the economy can go ahead.
