Decisions will be made by school management on an individual basis depending on the circumstances and conditions in their area.
In a statement Minister Halligan said that schools must ensure the safety of those in their care and give due consideration to this when making a decision to re-open.
“Waterford Council workers are doing phenomenal work across the city and county around the clock and many primary and secondary roads are already clear. However school principals will ultimately make individual decisions based on conditions close to their own neighbourhood.”
For schools which require repairs, Minister Halligan said any State-owned buildings school authorities can apply for funding under the Department’s Emergency Works Scheme.
Non-State owned schools should in the first instance contact their Insurance Providers before contacting the Department regarding emergency funding. The schemes circular and application form are available on the Department of Education’s website.
The position regarding school transport services will be regularly monitored over the weekend, Minister Halligan added.
It is expected that Bus Éireann will be in a position to advise schools tomorrow evening on school transport routes that will not operate on Monday and schools will contact the families involved.
However, some decisions on individual schools transport routes may still not be confirmed until Monday morning given changing local conditions. Where possible, information on routes not running will also be provided on the Bus Éireann website - http://www.buseireann.ie.
