Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
LAST UPDATE | 8 Dec 2021
SCHOOLS AROUND THE country are advised to open as usual tomorrow, the Department of Education has said.
The advisory comes as schools in 12 counties were advised to close today and yesterday as a result of the severe weather brought by Storm Barra.
In a statement this afternoon the Department confirmed that schools are advised to open tomorrow, adding: “The Department would like to thank school communities, staff, students and parents, as well as the emergency services for their support during Storm Barra.”
The Department of Children has also said that all early learning and care and school age childcare services will open tomorrow as usual, while the Department of Further and Higher Education said all third-level institutions will likewise open on Thursday.
It comes after the Department of Education announced yesterday evening that all schools forecast to be in a Status Red or Orange county should remain closed today.
It was announced at about 6pm yesterday that this would apply to schools in Clare, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Leitrim, Limerick, Mayo, Sligo, Waterford and Wexford.
After 9pm yesterday, a Status Orange weather warning warning was issued for Dublin and the Department of Education then confirmed that schools in Dublin were also advised to close.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar earlier today defended the decision to close schools in counties that had an orange weather warning issued, stating that it was a “precautionary measure”.
Speaking to reporters in Drogheda this morning, he said traditionally, schools are only closed in areas where there are red weather warnings issued.
However, on this occasion, the government decided to close schools in regions where Met Eireann had issued an orange weather warning also. This is the first time such a decision has ever been taken, he added.
He explained that this was due to the nature of this particular weather event, which involved high winds, rain, snow, and the risk of flooding.
It was done “for good reason”, he said, stating that the decision was taken to “minimise injury and the loss of life”.
There has been some criticism from schools and parents in Dublin after the county was added late to a list of counties told to close schools today due to Storm Barra.
The Tánaiste said that a review will take place in relation to the government’s response to Storm Barra to see “what lessons can be learned”.
A Status Yellow wind and rain warning is in place for the country until 6pm today. An orange wind warning was in place for Sligo and Leitrim until 8am and an orange wind warning will remain until 2pm for Donegal.
Fine Gael TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said the government “needs to communicate the rationale behind late decision” to close Dublin schools today.
“Parents need to know the detailed reasons and concerns of government task force,” the TD said on Twitter.
Parents have also been raising issues on social media about the late notice of the closure.
Enda McGorman, principal of Mary Mother of Hope Senior Primary School in Dublin, said school officials were “very unsure as to what to do” after Dublin was added to the Status Orange weather warning last night.
After receiving advice within the next hour from the department to remain closed, the school was able to give the “really late notice” to parents.
“Our children this morning will probably get an extra lie-in that they weren’t expecting, but I’d still be worried that some parents actually didn’t get the news,” he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
He added that it may not have been realistic for schools to re-open today in the first instance, with inspections to be completed and time needed to “make all their plans for schools to be open properly”.
Schools in the remainder of the country should operate as normal as storm warnings are gradually eased today.
Schools in many counties were also closed yesterday in light of weather warnings for Storm Barra.
- With reporting by Rónán Duffy
Aer Lingus pilots are demanding a 23.8% wage increase. This demand comes after rejecting a previous offer of a 9.25% raise.The nurses in irish hospitals will be paid 11% in stages until 2026.We have Ryanair.Whoever supports the pilots should be ashamed of these greedy pilots
@Stephen Broderick: Public sector pay increases since 2019. Alot more than 11% and they’re annualised:
Jan 2019 by 1%
Sept 2019 by 1.75%
Jan 2020 up to €32k by 0.5%
Oct 2020 by 2%
Oct 2021 by 1%
Feb 2022 by 3%
Oct 2022 by 1%
Mar 2023 by 2%
Oct. 2023 by 1.5%
Jan 2024 by 2.25%
Jun 2024 by 1%
Oct 2024 by 1%
Mar 2025 by 2%
Oct 2025 by 1%
@Stephen Broderick: no one will argue with that nurses should be paid more, they absolutely should. That is a different matter. A matter to raise with your elected officials. The state is responsible for their pay. Aer Lingus is no longer owned by the state. You can choose who you fly with but it doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to receive what they are looking for with regards to pay.
@Stephen Broderick:
Bang on Stephen ! 9.25% was their initial recommendation. Their remit is to come up with a fair recommendation based on all facts to hand etc.. They cant very well go back now and say they got it wrong. Where would that leave their credibility ? Anyway, a 12.5% was subsequently offered by AL and refused by IALPA ( I Am Low Paid Airline-pilot ). That offer was 33% more than labour court recommended. This action is just bullyboy tactics. Never ever give in to bullies or low paid airline pilots.
@john logan: Fact one: Inflation 21%+ since 2019. Fact 2: other EI staff got just under 13%. Fact 3: EIs 225 million profit and IAGs 3.5 billion profit for 2023. Fact 4: Growth in 2024……. With all those facts they came up with 9.25%….. bahaha haha….. That was meant to be rejected. If it was a serious recommendation they should be disbanded! Zero creditability after that recommendation imo. Fair play to the pilots standing up to protect the value of their pay against a profit hungry machine during massive inflation! Hopefully the rest of the EI staff will benefit!!!! Workers suffer while management get massive increases! They’ve probably lost more revenue now that they would have if they paid. They’ve also suffered massive PR damage
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: Are you being paid ? I can barely read through 5 posts without you appearing. I’ve stopped reading them at this stage ! Are you sure you’re not in IALPA ( I Am Low Paid Airline-pilot ) ?
@Stephen Broderick: you don’t live in the real world. Pilots fly planes. Nurses trsat patients. Completely different jobs in completely different industries and totally unrelated to each other. Tell me, would be happy earning 10% less than 5 years ago (also taking in to account inflation etc..) whilst knowing that your bosses are getting huge pay rises and the company is earning massive profits? And you talk about greed! Completely deluded
@john logan: No, a friend works with them and I support their cause. Just calling out the BS like yours. You’re a regular to the threads yourself
@KB: just remember that if they get the 23.8% that they’re asking for, it’ll be us paying for it.
@Stephen Broderick: People are leaving the private sector to go to the public sector, as guaranteed year on year pay increases. Go figure that greedy bunch.
Just fire the pilots.
Lost 2 days of my holiday and all my flights cancelled twice, left in limbo across the world because of this not too sure if 24% is a justified raise I got 2 % this Yr was delighted. Ruined half my holiday thanks AL I’ll give ye a skip next trip
I think AERLINGUS is the one causing the problem. The profits are high and can afford to pay the workers properly. They are losing so much money cancelling flights it beggers belief that they are open to losing money. So people.dont blame.the pilots leave the responsibility at aerlingus door
@Teresa Dillon: Pay their workers properly,!! Please look up what a captain at Aer Lingus earns along with their defined benefit pensions, which are worth half their salary in retirement. Cabin crew and other staff are poorly paid, but not pilots
@Teresa Dillon: wake up Teresa. Including benefits, addons and pension, aer lingus captains are on €200k- €250,000 pa. Are you earning that? How much more should they be paid?
No delays, you are joking
Joby showing maturity beyond his years with those comments. Good lad
Dublin Airport the great Irish landmark and institution, what would the Irish media do without it, sit up the rest of the world and take note, we have the most talked about airport on the plant.
have your say