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Covid-19 Pandemic

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 July 2020

Tuesday, 28 July 2020

Questions (516, 517, 520)

Gerald Nash

Question:

516. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Skills if requirements for social distancing will be universally applied across higher education institution campuses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18814/20]

View answer

Gerald Nash

Question:

517. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there has been engagement with the unions on social distancing requirements across higher education institution campuses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18815/20]

View answer

Gerald Nash

Question:

520. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she has engaged with higher education institutions on library access for students under social distancing requirements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18818/20]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 516, 517 and 520 together.

On 22 July I published a three-pillar series of guides for returning to on-site learning in 2020/2021 which consisted of

- A high level Further and Higher Education Roadmap, which provides an overview of the phased return across further and higher education;

- A Covid-19 Adaptation framework which provides a structure, guidance and support for further and higher education institutions and providers and;

- Practical Guidance for Further and Higher Education for Returning to On-site Activity.

These documents can all be found online at the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/fc7a0-guidance-for-further-and-higher-education-for-returning-to-on-site-activity-in-2020-roadmap-and-covid-19-adaptation-framework.

This three-pillar approach was prepared on a consultative basis with sectoral stakeholders, including unions, and with the assistance of public health expertise available to my Department.

Ultimately Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous institutions and are entitled to regulate their own academic affairs and administrative processes. Decisions on how courses and campus services will operate will be made by each institution, in line with public health advice, and arrangements will vary between institutions and between courses. These arrangements will depend on factors such as the teaching and learning needs of various disciplines, the size of student and learner groups and the practical/theoretical balance of learning outcomes of various programmes.

The HEIs will communicate the arrangements for the new academic year to students as soon as these arrangements have been finalised. Questions on arrangements for a specific institution or course should be directed to the institution in question.

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