Ms Martina Mannion:

In terms of the breakdown of the summer programme as regards home-based and school-based provision, almost 13,800 children participated in the programme last year, of which 3,800 were in school-based provision and approximately 9,000 in a home programme at a cost of over €18 million.

As one can see, the balance towards the home programme is part of the issues we are working through to ensure we make the school-based programme more attractive for schools to run. It is a voluntary programme because it is outside the school calendar year. We are engaging with the stakeholders on the types of supports that would make running the school programmes attractive to them. These include, for example, reducing the administrative burden, streamlining the payments and application processes and providing support in the run-up to, and delivery of, the programme.

Obviously, our focus in the special education area of the Department has been getting the children back to school as quickly as possible. We are pleased children with special educational needs were prioritised for returning. Special schools are back since 11 February, special classes are back and all of the children are back since yesterday.

We are now working through how the summer programme might work and ensuring it is focused more towards school than home. However, the home-based component is also important because it will remain an important part of the programme and worked successfully for more than 9,000 children last year.