Over 300,000 children are returning to school today for the first time this year.
Classes will resume for the first four years of primary school and leaving cert students.
The government plans to allow the other years to return on a phased basis over the next six weeks if Covid is kept under control.
Parents are being asked not to congregate at the school gates while dropping their children off.
Meanwhile, Ireland is on track to have one of the lowest incidence rates of Covid-19 in Europe.
NPHET says the number of people in hospitals with the disease has fallen by 38%, while also saying disinformation must be overcome.
612 cases have been detected, while six more deaths linked to the disease have been reported.
537 people are being treated in public hospitals, while there are 134 patients in ICU.
