Coronavirus: Republican MLA says her daughter is being pulled from school against departmental advice

Foyle MLA Karen Mullan made the remarks at a meeting of the Stormont education committee today.

She was speaking shortly after Ebrington Primary School and Nursery in Londonderry was refused permission to close today and tomorrow after a suspected Covid-19 case in a pupil.

Ms Mullan, committee deputy chair, said: “I’ve been told on Monday there was a third of children weren’t attending school, and we’re hearing we expect that to rise with parents voting with their feet.

“these are children who are at home at minute without educational provision, and I will now speak as a mother, not as a politician trying to grab a headline. I’ve a 15-year-old daughter and the more and more I hear, she will be staying at home because her health comes first. What educational provision will be put in place for those children?”

The education minister Peter Weir said that he wanted to make sure there was a proper “package” of measures in place for such children.

He had earlier said he has directed schools to prepare to “carry on online teaching” when the time does come to close their doors.