Sinn Féin Education spokesperson Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire welcomed the decision of the Chief Medical Officer and the Government to close schools.

"I want to welcome the action of the Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan and the Government to close schools and third level institutions as a necessary containment measure against Covid-19", said Ó Laoghaire addng: "While this is clearly disruptive and causes great difficulty for many, we must take every action to safeguard public health. There are a number of questions now however, which require the Department address them."

Ó Laoghaire continued: "The Government should also be conscious of the fact that while many students in exam years have access to the internet, there will be others who do not. The Government and Department must ensure that these students have access to materials so they can continue working and studying over the coming weeks. I also urge the Department to issue guidelines to parents over social media, and by other means, on how to ensure their child’s education is maintained."

Ó Laoghaire also asked the Government "to examine whether those on temporary contracts can avail of the €305 allowance available to other workers who have been forced to self isolate."