Update on schools closing in Ireland this week as Met…

Update on schools closing in Ireland this week as Met Éireann issues new weather warning

Schools across Ireland will remain open as normal this week despite a nationwide weather warning to remain in place until Friday.

However, there may be some local school closures in certain areas due to road safety concerns with Met Eireann warning of “very hazardous driving conditions”.

The decision rests with school principals depending on the weather conditions in their area and a number of other factors including the classroom temperature in schools.

A Department of Education spokesperson told the Irish Mirror: “Principals can make their own call and some may have closed today or will do for the days ahead.”

They continued: “Any decision to close is taken in the interest of child safety, having assessed the local risks and having consulted, as appropriate, with school transport operators.”

Minister Darragh O'Brien confirmed on Monday that schools will do their best to stay open this week.

“There will be discretion at a local level where there might be a local event where the board of management may decide that the school should be closed,” he told RTE’s Morning Ireland. "But in the main, yes, schools should remain open."

The National Emergency Coordination Group made the decision yesterday that schools will open on Monday. The group will continue to meet every day this week as the severe weather continues.

The chair of the group said it would take "blizzard conditions" to close all schools at a national level.

A van driving over snow-covered roads near Dunlavin in County Wicklow (PA Wire/PA Images)

Speaking to Today FM, Chair Keith Leonard said: "Obviously, we're keeping a close eye on this with the Department of Education and looking at the overall weather conditions."

"Anything that would suggest blizzard-type conditions would put us into a different space again. That would have to be looked at."

This comes as Met Eireann has issued a new Status Orange warning for 'freezing fog' for many parts of the country from midday on Monday until midnight tonight.

Many parts of the country will be impacted by this freezing fog, including Connacht, Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Clare, Limerick and Tipperary.

The alert reads: "Freezing fog, dense in places, will persist through the afternoon and into tonight, leading to very hazardous driving conditions."

Other warnings remain in place, including a Status Yellow low temperature and icy weather warning valid until Friday, December 16.

What factors would make schools close at a local level?

For a school principal to make a decision that a school should close, there are a number of conditions taken into account

The main consideration is children’s safety and the ability to travel safely on the roads to get to school.

If it is deemed too dangerous for staff, parents, students and school buses to drive on local roads then it is likely the school will close. Garda advice is usually taken into account in these situations.

The second is the school’s heating system as classrooms need to be heated to a minimum of 16C by 10am, according to the Irish National Teachers Organisation. If there is no heating on a cold day, classes would not go ahead.

Most schools have adequate heating systems, but if it breaks or pipes get frozen over the principal then will have to either arrange a different area to learn, or cancel classes.

Other factors that schools take into account include:

guidance and direction from the principal response agencies
conditions in the school itself
capacity of the school to ensure the health and safety of students whilst in school

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