Govt accused of mixed messages after Varadkar announces schools to reopen in August

The government has been accused of sending further mixed messages after the Taoiseach said schools would reopen in August.

Leo Varadkar said that schools would reopen as normal at the beginning of the school year, but it "may be necessary to phase in" pupils.

Minister for Education Joe McHugh said on Thursday morning, that he did not see how schools could reopen as normal due to social distancing guidelines and risk from Covid-19, and later on RTÉ's Prime Time, said he would not accept a "half return" to schools.

However, the Taoiseach said today that the government were: "certainly working towards a target which we believe we will achieve of opening primary and secondary schools at the beginning of the new school year, at the end of August.

That might not mean that every student is able to return every day for the full day, but our objective is to have things as close to normal as possible.

The government say that provided the virus doesn't make a comeback between now and then, primary schools and secondary schools will open in August in line with the normal school reopening.

Mr Varadkar added it was "still too early" to talk about whether schools would have to abide by two-metre social distancing rule, which poses further questions about capacity in schools and the number of children who would be able to attend.

He added: "It may be necessary to phase in primary schools and secondary schools, our objective is to open them as fully and as soon as possible for all kids."

"When we published our plan to be open society and business, we indicated that schools would open at the beginning of the new academic year, that was always the plan."

Mr Varadkar said the move to reopen schools was "low risk, but not no risk".

Political rivals have criticised the government's lack of consistency on the message.

Labour's Education spokesman Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said: "The inability of government to give clear messaging is beyond frustrating".

Sinn Féin's Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said that the "confusion being created" by the government in last 48 hours is "beyond a joke", adding that parents are "besides themselves".

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