A Tralee father, whose daughter has additional needs, is calling for schools to reopen for students with learning difficulties.
Risteard Pierse's daughter Sophie-Mai is 17; she has Down's syndrome and is non-verbal.
Sophie-Mai attends St Ita's and St Joseph's School in Tralee, a place where she receives therapies to help her progress in a classroom setting.
Risteard Pierse says she had been doing well, but has regressed since March when schools first closed due to COVID-19, he says it's disheartening to see.
Online teaching isn't suitable for his daughter.
Mr Pierse has written to teachers' unions asking them to agree to get schools back open.
He says unions should allow individual schools make their own decisions when it comes to reopening: