On 12 March 2020, all schools, colleges, and childcare facilities in the Republic of Ireland were shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The shutdown resulted in the cancellation of the 2020 Leaving Certificate and 2020–2021 Junior Certificate examinations, as well as all 2020–2021 Irish language summer courses in the Gaeltacht.

Timeline

Initially, some schools around the country were closed and pupils were instructed to self-isolate.

2020 On 12 March, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar—speaking from Washington, D.C., where he was meeting U.S. president Donald Trump—announced the closure of all schools, colleges and childcare facilities across Ireland until at least 29 March. On 1 May, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced that all schools would remain closed until September 2020.

On 21 March, State broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) announced that it would begin showing "school" live on the television programme Home School Hub. The broadcasts began on Monday 30 March, aimed at children attending 1st–6th class of primary school (i.e. roughly 6–12 years of age).

On 24 March, Minister for Education Joe McHugh confirmed that schools would not be reopening on 30 March as had been the official deadline until then.

On 2 April, the Department of Education deferred the introduction of its "School Inclusion Model" for the allocation of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) in schools that had been scheduled for September 2020, citing cancellations of meetings due to COVID-19 and the absence of therapists called to assist the Health Service Executive (HSE) in its battle against the pandemic. Also on 2 April, RTÉ announced it would—on weekend mornings—televise those plays of William Shakespeare on the Junior and Leaving Certificate syllabi to cater for English students at secondary school who had been prevented from attending a live theatre performance ahead of their exam.

Headfort School in Kells, County Meath, the country's only private boarding school for children receiving primary education, was forced to shut due to debts worsened by the pandemic.

With the virus affecting pupils transitioning from secondary education, Beech Hill College in County Monaghan held a drive-in ceremony to bid farewell to its departing pupils.

On 24 July, Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Education Norma Foley announced that all schools would fully reopen in August 2020.

A €376 million support package and roadmap on how to reopen all schools in Ireland was announced on 27 July which include additional teachers and special needs assistants, personal protective equipment and stepped-up cleaning regimes.

On 7 August, updated guidelines was published by the Department of Education, which stated that all teachers in both primary and secondary schools and students in secondary school would be required to wear face coverings when a physical distance of two metres could not be maintained.

On 9 October, the Department of Education announced that no decision had been made in relation to extending school closures over the mid-term break by one week, following a report from the Irish Independent which stated that the mid-term break for schools was expected to be extended.

On 11 October, speaking on RTÉ's This Week, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced that there would not be an extension to the upcoming school mid-term break at the end of October.

On 17 December, Minister for Education Norma Foley announced that schools would not close early for Christmas—nor would they reopen later than planned after Christmas—as there was no evidence or recommendation from public health authorities to do so.

However, all schools remained closed after the Christmas break, following the government's announcement to move the entire country to full Level 5 lockdown restrictions.

2021 On 6 January 2021, the Government agreed to postpone the reopening of all schools until February 2021 with Leaving Certificate students allowed to attend school for three days a week. One day after the announcement, the Government was forced to abandon plans for Leaving Certificate students to attend school on three days a week, and instead students would return to homeschooling along with other students until February, after the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI) directed its members not to return to in-school teaching.

On 19 January, the Government was forced to abandon plans to reopen special schools on Thursday 21 January for thousands of children with special educational needs following safety concerns among staff unions.

On 22 January, speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Chief Clinical Officer of the Health Service Executive (HSE) Colm Henry stated that COVID-19 transmission levels remained too high for schools to reopen in February.

On 26 January, talks between the Department of Education and unions continued with hopes that schools would be able to reopen on a phased basis between February and March.

On 1 February, the Department of Education agreed to reopen special schools with 50% capacity on Thursday 11 February and special classes in mainstream schools on Monday 22 February.

On 10 February, details of a return to in-school teaching and learning for students attending special classes in secondary schools from Monday 22 February was announced, after a deal was agreed between teacher and SNA trade unions and the Department of Education.

Under the Government's new revised Living with COVID-19 plan published on 23 February, junior and senior infants, 1st and 2nd classes, along with Leaving Certificate students returned to in-school teaching and learning from 1 March, while the rest of primary school classes and 5th Year students returned from 15 March, and 1st to 4th years returned from 12 April, after the Easter holidays.

+Schools and childcare1 March8 MarchResumption of the ECCE programme and return to school of ECCE-age children15 MarchEarly learning and care, and school-age childcare services to reopen1st to 4th years return to school

On 26 July 2021, Minister for Education Norma Foley stated that she was confident that a full reopening of schools from late August and early September would go ahead as planned.

On 25 August, a row over the return to school of teachers in early stages of pregnancy intensified after the three teacher unions condemned the Minister for Education and the Department of Education for the "failure to provide alternative time-bound working arrangements for teachers who have been ineligible to receive vaccines."

2022 On 4 January 2022, after meeting with public health officials and education stakeholders, Minister for Education Norma Foley confirmed that schools would reopen as planned on 6 January, despite record-breaking COVID-19 cases being reported over the Christmas period. HSE Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry said there was no public health rationale to delaying reopening of schools.

On 24 February, schools were told by the Department of Education that they could resume normal routines and normal teaching and learning activities from Monday 28 February, with social distancing and the wearing of masks no longer required.

Confirmed cases On 1 September 2020, the first day of reopening schools, a primary school class in Dublin was sent home after one pupil tested positive for COVID-19. On 2 September, a second primary school class in Dublin was sent home after a number of pupils tested positive for COVID-19. Also on 2 September, a primary school in County Clare closed for one week after a number of staff members were identified as close contacts of a case of COVID-19. On 3 September, one primary school and one secondary school in County Kerry sent a number of students home after students tested positive for COVID-19.

From 7–20 September, six cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in two counties—Cork and Westmeath—while several schools around the country closed from October 2020 due to multiple cases of COVID-19, in accordance with the Department of Education and the Health Service Executive (HSE).

On 13 September, a primary school in Rathcormac, County Cork became the third school in County Cork to confirm a case of COVID-19.

On 8 October, a secondary school in Longford announced its closure due to a confirmed case of COVID-19.

On 25 November, all staff and students at a Gaelscoil primary school in Glanmire, County Cork began restricting their movements until 8 December, after 17 cases of COVID-19 was confirmed there, resulting in the closure of the school.

On 11 December, two primary schools in Laois and Mayo closed early for the Christmas holidays due to an increase in COVID-19 cases among students.

On 16 December, all pupils at a primary school in Killorglin, County Kerry began to restrict their movements after 17 people tested positive for COVID-19.

On 1 March 2021, following another period of remote learning, a school in north Dublin confirmed a case of COVID-19 as parents received an urgent letter from the school. A secondary school in Cork confirmed a case of COVID-19 while a south Dublin school announced its closure due to a confirmed case of COVID-19 just one day after schools reopened.

On 22 March, a primary school in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary closed after two positive cases of COVID-19 were confirmed. On the next day on 23 March, six classes were sent home from a primary school in County Longford after five cases of COVID-19 were confirmed, and a class was sent home following an outbreak of COVID-19 at a primary school in Dublin. On 26 March, a number of students were asked to stay at home after multiple cases of COVID-19 were confirmed at a secondary school in Limerick.

On 2 April, a COVID-19 outbreak of 15 cases was confirmed in a special school in Clontarf, Dublin.

On 23 April, a COVID-19 outbreak resulted in all Leaving Certificate students being sent home from a secondary school in Letterkenny, County Donegal.

On 27 April, a primary school in County Offaly closed following confirmation of 23 cases of COVID-19.

On 19 June, a primary school in County Offaly confirmed a suspected case of the Delta variant with the children told to self isolate at home.

After schools reopened for the 2021/2022 academic year, the HSE's lead for testing and tracing Niamh O'Beirne revealed that around 800 schools reported a positive COVID-19 case since they reopened, with 500 in primary schools and 300 in secondary schools. By 8 September, the number of children restricting their movements as a result of being designated a close contact of a COVID-19 case increased to 16,000, after more than 100 schools contacted the HSE over cases among pupils.

On 18 October, a primary school in County Wexford closed until after the mid-term break in November after 34 cases of COVID-19 were detected at the school. One day later on 19 October, a primary school in County Wicklow closed over concerns at a high incidence of COVID-19 at the school.

Junior and Leaving Certificate 2020–21 2020 On 19 March, Minister for Education Joe McHugh announced the cancellation of Leaving and Junior Certificate oral and practical exams, with all students given top marks. On 10 April, McHugh announced the postponement of Leaving Certificate written exams until late July/August, and that Junior Cycle examinations due to take place in June would be replaced by school-based exams and assessments held early in the new school year. On 23 April, McHugh confirmed in the Dáil that Leaving Certificate examinations would begin on 29 July. On 29 April, McHugh announced that all third-year Junior Cycle students would receive a certificate of completion and a report on achievement and that the decision to hold school-based exams and assessments early in the new school year was abandoned.