Primary schools are going to have a difficult time between now and Christmas, the INTO says.
The teachers union is calling for clarity on the rollout of antigen testing for primary school children, as well as the five-day restriction on movements for households.
A meeting between the primary teachers union and the Department of Education is due to take place later today or tomorrow.
INTO General Secretary, John Boyle, told The Pat Kenny Show schools have been under pressure in recent weeks.
He pointed to the fact that close contact tracing in schools was stopped at the end of September.
He explained: "I think it was probably symptomatic of an approach that was being taken as schools were reopening - that it'd be 'all right Jack'.
"The problem was that COVID had taken hold in the community in July and August. Then the numbers being tested in September were huge."
Mr Boyle believes the total removal of those supports happened "way too early", but there have now been indications from Government that there will be testing carried out in schools again.
However, he noted: "We still don't know how they're going to identify the close contacts?
"The other thing we need clarity on pretty quickly is the decision that all people who have family outbreaks would need to restrict their movements for five days, even if they're vaccinated.
"I think the torrid time we've had with substitution - even though the Department did put in efforts to address that before Halloween - we're going to have a difficult time between now and Christmas."
Mr Boyle said he hopes the measures being put in place will begin to take effect in the next few weeks, but noted there are currently there are thousands of children who have tested positive in the past two weeks.
He added: "I think that could have been avoided if we had left the supports back in place in September."
Mr Boyle's comments follow confusion yesterday about whether the five-day isolation recommended for households would apply to teachers.
The Labour Party leader Alan Kelly claimed the Taoiseach had told him in private that teachers would be exempt from the rule.
However, that has been firmly denied by the Taoiseach, who called Deputy Kelly's claim was a "total misconstruction".
