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The government considers giving children an extra week of vacation this Halloween
By Ferghal Blaney
Government ministers are considering giving children an extra week out of school this Halloween in a bid to beat Covid numbers.
The Halloween midterm break expires in a couple of weeks and an idea has been raised in government buildings to add another week to help curb the spread of the virus in schools.
But ministers and the Department of Education went out of their way to emphasize that a decision has yet to be made.
And a Taoiseach spokeswoman told the Irish Mirror: “No decision has yet been made on the schools.”
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe was asked about the issue at a budget briefing.
He said, “I have not been involved in any discussion about it, but I have seen the story about it today and before I make a decision about it, I would like to understand what the consequences would be in our schools and what is the public health justification for do what.
“But that proposal has not yet been presented to me.”
A spokeswoman for the Department of Education said her priority is keeping people safe in schools.
She said: “No decision has been made to extend the schools mid-term breaks.
“To date, the evidence shows that schools have safely reopened supported by significant investment to support all infection prevention and control measures recommended by public health authorities.
“Keeping schools open safely for children and staff is a key priority at all levels of Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with Covid-19.
“At levels 1-4 inclusive, schools can remain open with protective measures, and at level 5, recommendations will be based on the situation and evidence at the time.”
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