Following Government approval, I have published A Safe Return: Plan for a safe return to on-site Further and Higher Education and Research in 2021/22. The Safe Return Plan can be accessed here: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/bcd91-a-safe-return-to-on-site-further-and-higher-education-and-research/
The Plan reflects the essential nature of higher and further education and training, and research activities, and in that context, provides for comprehensive on-site activity for the next academic year, with almost full scale on-site activities.
At a very minimum, workshops, tutorials, classroom based activities and smaller lectures will be allowed and libraries, research facilities and labs will be opened. Institutions and providers will continue to put in place plans to ensure that the overall number of people on campus at a given time continues to be moderated.
Under the Plan, larger scale lectures will take place on-site if the public health situation continues to improve as expected but some moderation in numbers may still be required. The safety measures which will be in place such as social distancing, face masks and indoor ventilation will be in accordance with prevailing public health advice taking into account the essential nature of further and higher education and research.
In addition, contingency planning based on a more restrictive public health environment is also being prepared by the sector. Even in a more restrictive public health environment, it is envisaged that there would still be significant on-site activities.
The Plan will operate along with and be supported by:
- The COVID-19 Adaptation Framework for further and higher education
- The Practical Guidance for Further and Higher Education (to be updated in line with prevailing public health advice).
- Sectoral guidance (to be updated in line with prevailing public health advice)
- The Sectoral Pact as outlined in Section 5 of the plan
- The Work Safety Protocol published by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
- The Government Plan - COVID – 19 Resilience and Recovery: The Path Ahead
In the interim period leading to the return in autumn 2021, sectoral planning will be reviewed monthly with an update on planning to be provided to Government in July. This will ensure that there is ongoing support for planning in this sector and that planning proceeds in a manner that is aligned to prevailing public health advice.
