The Tánaiste has said it will reflect badly on the country if schools can't be re-opened next month.
The government has come under criticism for the lack of a clear plan on how they will do that.
There's been further calls for Minister Norma Foley to appear in the Dáil to provide an explanation on how it'll work.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar says plans are not completed but will be released soon - and that it's still the plan to open schools fully:
"There are other countries that have suffered much worse than we have during this pandemic, and never closed their schools fully.
"So I do think it'd reflect very badly on us."
"...as politicians, on the government and on the education partners if we were unable to re-open our schools in August."
We're 5 weeks away from school opening.
We're 1 week away from Dail recess.
Where's the plan for schools?
Where's the funding for schools?
Time is running out ⌛️ #SocDems pic.twitter.com/6NMKaR2ws2— Jennifer Whitmore TD (@WhitmoreJen) July 22, 2020
Opposition TDs Call For Clear Guidelines
As Jennifer Whitmore points out in the above video, the Dáil recess is coming in just a week.
She's calling for clear guidelines, ahead of that, on issues like the one raised by Mary Lou McDonald today:
The Sinn Féin leader said uniforms may have to be washed every day to avoid spreading Covid-19.
However, she says it's not clear yet "Will children have to wear uniforms, yes or no? There's speculation on that."
"So all of these things are still outstanding and it's astonishing, with just a few short weeks to go, that parents and students are still in the dark."
Meanwhile Labour's Aodhan Ó Ríordáin is calling for the Education Minister Norma Foley to answer questions specifically about this.
He says he's surprised that the plan for third level students has been locked in but primary and second level staff and students are still waiting for instructions.
“By contrast her Cabinet Colleague at the Department of Higher Education, Minister Simon Harris has announced a roadmap for Higher Education"
"Including clarity around two metre social distancing locked in and a financial package for third level institutes."
Aodhan Ó Ríordáin says Minister Foley needs to stand up in the Dáil and "...answer specific questions members have about schools reopening."
