Negotiations on what form this year's Leaving Cert will take are continuing today with a good chance tomorrow's deadline for a decision will be missed.
It comes as work is continuing on the government's roadmap for eventually re-opening the country.
The government had been hoping to give students certainty at tomorrow's cabinet meeting about how this year's Leaving Cert will run.
But the ASTI's brief withdrawal from the talks last week means there's likely to be a delay, and while cabinet will get an update tomorrow it may not be a final decision.
Those negotiations with the unions are continuing this afternoon.
A separate process of talks is underway about the re-opening of schools, with it hoped that will happen on a phased basis in March - but again no decision.
It's being given priority in the new government roadmap for living with COVID, to be released next week.
Most of the construction sector is likely to open in March - with house and apartment building to fully re-start, and construction of office or commercial properties the only area to remain shut at first.
Small, outdoor meet ups with family or friends are likely to be allowed, and there may be some relaxing of the 5km travel rule.
But indoor gatherings are out until at least April, with other sectors to shut for much longer, as the government takes a very cautious approach to any re-opening.
