All national and secondary schools are to remain closed until Thursday 14 January 2010, Minister for Education Batt O’Keefe announced this afternoon.

The decision was taken following a review of the weekend weather forecast at a meeting of the Government’s Emergency Response Committee.

The Minister accepts that the closures will cause inconvenience but said the safety of student, teachers and parents was more important.

The decision comes amid growing fears among school principals and boards of management about the impact of further severe weather on school communities. It will be widely welcomed by them.

Schools have been telling RTÉ News of strong health and safety concerns, centred on footpaths and roads in their wider areas.

A decision on whether Ireland’s 4,000 schools will remain closed or re-opened later next week will be made following a review by the Committee at a meeting on Tuesday.

There are severe weather warnings in place across most of the country, with Met Éireann forecasting at least another three days of sub zero temperatures.

Drivers are being advised to take extra care on all routes but especially on secondary roads which may not have been gritted.

The unexpectedly long cold snap is also draining supplies of grit with several local authorities in the Midlands and in Dublin running low.

The National Roads Authority says the N5 Charlestown, N6 Loughrea, N8 Mitchelstown, N13 between Brigend and Burt in Donegal, and the N81 Baltinglass are all icy.

The Sally Gap in Wicklow is still closed, and secondary roads and housing estates in most of Dublin are described as treacherous.

In the South, Thurles has been badly affected with gardaí are warning of severe black ice in many places.

AA Roadwatch says it is very icy on secondary routes in Co Clare and also on the N18 Ennis Bypass.

In Co Cavan there are very icy in spots on the N3 Dublin/Cavan Rd and in the Baileboro and Virginia areas.

Gardaí have advised motorists to drive with extreme caution on the M7 between J12 Newbridge and J14 Monasterevin, or avoid if possible.

Bus Éireann services in Cork are severely disrupted.

All city services and many suburban routes and several services in the county have been suspended.

Services between Limerick and Dublin have been suspended due to road conditions, and there are long delays on the service between Dublin and Ballina.

Meanwhile, Dublin Bus services are operating on a restricted basis and services on routes on higher ground and through housing estates are again being limited.

Five new penalty point offences are being introduced from next month.The new measures have been given the green light by Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey.

From the May Bank Holiday weekend, motorists will be faced with the more stringent penalty point system, according to today’s Irish Independent.

Three of the new offences carry a sanction of five points, including failing to have an NCT up to date, an offence for which there is currently a fine of €1,500.

Vehicles of four years and older must undergo an NCT test every two years.

Driving a dangerously defective vehicle or driving without a certificate of road worthiness will also incur five penalty points.

There will be a three-point penalty for driving a vehicle without fixing a fault uncovered at the NCT or for drivers of trucks that strike an overhead bridge.

The five new categories will bring to 42 the total number of penalty point offences under the system, which was introduced under the Road Traffic Act in 2002.

Over 750,000 notices have been issued to motorists under the legislation.

Research from the Road Safety Authority has shown that one in ten drivers has admitted to falling asleep behind the wheel.Half of those surveyed said they has used ineffective methods, such as opening the window to try to beat tiredness.

The RSA published the findings as it and the gardaí launched their Easter safe driving appeal.

Two people died on Irish roads last Easter.

Gardaí say they hope no-one dies in road collisions this year and the force has appealed to people to be more careful.

Chief Superintendent Gabriel McIntyre said over a two-week period significant resources will be put in place to conduct checkpoint and enforce drink-driving legislation.

Noel Brett of the Road Safety Authority said driver fatigue is as dangerous as drink-driving.

He is advising people not to drive if tired and to think carefully before taking to the road in the days ahead.