Ten schools close due to Storm Éowyn damage

Ten schools in Northern Ireland will be closed on Monday due to structural damage caused by Storm Éowyn, the education minister has said. Paul Givan met with the Education Authority (EA) on Saturday and announced that some schools may need to move to remote learning on Monday . The EA maintenance helpline has received 154 reports of damage to school buildings since Friday.

The reports ranged in severity from missing roof tiles, fallen trees, and serious structural damage. Givan said it is hoped that the majority of schools will be able to reopen on Tuesday. "The safety of children and staff is paramount," he added.

"Maintenance teams have been out on the ground today undertaking essential repairs and assessing whether it is safe to reopen." As of 22:00 GMT on Sunday, there were about 80 schools in Northern Ireland without power. "Where a school does not have any electricity, then they are unable to open," Givan told BBC News NI.

"Because of the weather [on Sunday], connections were being lost where they had been restored," he added. Where a school is unable to provide in-person teaching, the department said remote learning will be provided. "Schools will understand if children are unable to complete work that is set online if pupils do not have electricity or internet access," said Givan.

In a statement, the department said the EA's transport services will operate as normal, but that road closures may lead to some ongoing disruption. A full list of affected schools can be found on the NI Direct website . School closures: Western North Eastern South Eastern Southern.