A Laois primary school has rushed to close early for Christmas after a Covid-19 outbreak that saw 13 confirmed cases reported.
Portlaoise Educate Together National School will run class online for its 400 students today and tomorrow after making the decision to close in conjunction with the HSE and Department of Education.
The move comes just days after the school's principal, Sinead Harte, hit out at the Government after she was refused permission to close early for Christmas despite reporting 11 positive cases with 62 close contacts.
Then, four classes were asked to stay at home, but the school remained open despite the outbreak.
Over the weekend, the school told parents that rising numbers meant it would now be closing, the Irish Times reports.
It's the latest incident in a spate of school-based outbreaks, and raises questions over the process by which schools can decide to close their doors – and whether boards of management should be allowed to shut without permission from State bodies.
Claremorris Boys' National School, in Co Mayo, was left in a public standoff with the Government last week after being denied permission to close despite reporting 16 cases of coronavirus.
In Co Kerry, Scoil Mhuire Killorglin was advised to close when 17 cases were recorded.
Amid rising incidences in schools, many are arguing that it should be up to schools to make decisions to close in cases where an outbreak makes it unsafe for pupils and staff to come in.
Páiric Clerkin, the CEO of the Irish Primary Principals’ Network, said schools know their own circumstances and should be trusted to make a call on whether to close.
But the Government is insisting that public health officials are better placed to assess the public health situation and will continue to be in charge of making those decisions.
