Additional reporting by Vivienne Clarke.
Disability advocacy groups say the phased return of special education does not go far enough for many thousands of children and their families.
Special education schools are due to reopen at 50 per cent capacity on February 11th, followed by special-needs classes in mainstream schools on February 22nd.
However, advocacy groups say many children in mainstream primary school classes and secondary school students are not part of the plan.
Adam Harris from autism charity As I Am says the return is welcome but it is regrettable that more children are not involved.
"I think it's really good that we finally had some serious engagement from all stakeholders. I think it's really important that there is a road map for the return to school, but what we really need to see now is for these commitments to be delivered and to be very quickly build upon.
"Every day that goes by there is serious consequences for our families and our young people."
Yesterday's agreement follows the collapse of two earlier planned reopenings.
It will happen this time.
The general secretary of the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO), John Boyle has said he is confident that special needs schools will reopen next week as planned.
“It will happen this time” he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
Covid-19 and the rise in numbers recently had “scuppered” earlier plans, he explained, insisting the decision not to go ahead previously had been the right decision.
“Now we have a proper plan,” he said.
The difference this time was that the boards of management of schools will receive a detailed plan a week in advance which will allow them to liaise with parents, staff and bus services.
Special classes did not exist in isolation, he said, highlighting that some children spent part of their day in special class and the rest of the day in mainstream classes.
Next week they would return to schools with their teachers and SNAs for a full day. They would have the “full run of the building” which would give them the opportunity to settle back before the rest of the children return to school in early March, he said.
High-risk teachers would not return to school and their places would be taken by teachers on the supply panel. “I am confident that staff will be there.”
It had been important to take the time to get the details right, he said, given the concerns that many had.
“Time is precious, but life is even more precious."
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly told the same programme that there was no plan to move teachers up the priority list for vaccination, but the schedule was “a living document”.
The priorities had been drawn up by National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) and endorsed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) and the Government, with the objective of minimising illness and death.
