Leaving Cert students will return to school for three days a week from Monday 11th.
Other students will be taught online until the end of the month at least, in an attempt to stop the spread of Covid-19 in schools.
It's one of a number of new measures announced by the Taoiseach at a press conference this afternoon.
Special needs education meanwhile will open with protections in place.
Childcare settings are also allowed to open for the children of essential workers and vulnerable children.
All non-essential retail will be told to close while retailers will no longer be allowed to operate a click and collect scheme.
The construction sector has also been hit, with all projects deemed non-essential to down tools from this 6pm Friday until the end of January.
New measures for those entering the country from abroad have also been announced.
A negative covid test will now be required for people flying into Ireland from the UK and South Africa. Failure to do so could result in €2,000 or imprisonment.
That could be extended in the next few weeks to more countries.
The Pandemic Unemployment Payment and Wage Subsidy Scheme will remain in place until the end of March.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said 6,800 swabs have tested positive for Covid-19 in Irish labs in the past 24 hours.
It comes as a record 921 covid patients are being treated in hospitals today.
