The Department of Education on Sunday expected most schools to open as normal on Monday despite the icy weather conditions.
However, schools in areas badly affected by snow and ice – including much of Carlow, Cork, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois and Limerick – have said they will remain closed due to transport and safety concerns.
Officials from the Department of Education, Department of Transport and Bus Éireann met on Sunday to discuss severe weather in relation to schools.
A spokeswoman said that, as always, a decision to close a school was a matter for individual school management authorities around the country as they “are best placed to do this in light of local weather conditions, which vary in regions”.
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As school transport services may operate on rural, secondary roads, which may be untreated, this could result in disruption during a spell of adverse weather, the spokeswoman added.
“Safety remains the foremost priority,” the department spokeswoman said. “If a school plans to close or where transport is affected, communications of all such decisions will issue locally between schools and parents or transport providers and parents.”
Kilkenny County Council said all schools in the county will close on Monday while many schools in the Carlow area are expected to remain shut.
Schools in badly-affected parts of Cork, Kerry, Kildare, Laois and Limerick informed parents that they will delay reopening by a least a day, with some second-level schools stating that they will engage in remote learning using iPads and laptop computers.
