Schools across the country will be writing to their students next week telling them when they are going back to the classroom.
It is being left up to each of Ireland's 4,000 primary and secondary schools to decide themselves when they are ready to start the new term, once they have made the necessary changes to cope with life in the Covid-19 pandemic.
Most schools are expected to reopen from August 25 to August 31.
Students themselves will be kept one metre apart as opposed to their desks.
The majority of schools will be publishing their opening details on their websites.
New Education Minister Norma Foley is confident it will be done calmly and safely so that the health of both the one million students and 100,000 staff will be protected.
A Department of Education spokesman said: "Most schools in the country will open in the last week of August. We are leaving it up to them to decide the date.
"There will be a metre social distance between each student not each desk.
"We are confident we have enough space in most of the schools.
"Those who haven't can use their gyms or the local parish hall available.
"Extra money is being made available for small renovations if they need it."
The average class size is 80 square metres in primary schools for 28 to 30 pupils, and 49 square metres for 24 students in Secondary.
Over the past year the Department has been running a concerted campaign in the Middle East to try and persuade Irish teachers to come home.
Most of the focus has been in Dubai and Abu Dhabi where thousands of them are teaching.
Ireland is hoping to hire 1,000 new teachers, but in the meantime extra hours will be offered to part time staff and to teachers job sharing.
Schools will also be allowed to increase their substitute pools.
The Department confirmed if a Covid-19 case is found in any school it will be left to the local public health official to decide if the school should close or not.
Minister Foley said: "We are putting everything in place to bring all our children back to school safely."
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