Level-three restrictions already placed on Dublin will now extend to all higher education institutions across the country, RTÉ News has reported.
The new restrictions – which will see as much teaching as possible moved online – will apply for the next two weeks.
As is the case in Dublin’s universities, practical classes and classes that must be in person will remain on campus, and libraries will also stay open.
According to RTÉ News, Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris said that “the next two to three weeks represent a critical juncture. The Higher Education sector has put in place robust plans and protective measures”.
“However, at the request of the Department of Health”, he added, “it has been agreed to introduce enhanced protective measures across the country to ensure safe continuation or beginning of the academic term”.
The restrictions were originally placed on Dublin’s universities last week, upending many of the plans that Trinity had put in place to allow students back on campus.
In an email to all students last week, signed by Provost Patrick Prendergast, Vice-Provost Jürgen Barkhoff and Chair of the Resumption of Teaching Working Group Áine Kelly, College said that in person teaching for Health Science and Engineering, Mathematics and Science students will continue as planned “either because it is laboratory, practical or other teaching requiring physical presence or because it is required for professional accreditation”.
The email added that extracurricular activities “that require physical gathering” are suspended, and that students will only be allowed on to campus for face-to-face classes.
News of increased restrictions for Dublin-based universities and colleges came days after Senior Lecturer Kevin Mitchell confirmed to this newspaper that College planned to offer all students some in-person teaching this semester.
Speaking to The University Times regarding the restrictions placed on Dublin, Union of Students in Ireland President Lorna Fitzpatrick said: “I think the colleges, because they’re autonomous bodies, because each one of them is different in terms of size and in terms of courses, they need to make decisions and they need to make them quickly.”
“But I think the thing that needs to be at the forefront of everyone’s mind is student safety and while students most definitely want to be back on campus, they want to be back on a safe campus”, she added.
