Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Speaking as Chair and as a parent, July provision was highlighted here, as it has been highlighted to the committee in recent weeks as a serious issue. If we do not make the changes and recommendations now, it will not happen for summer 2023. I gave the figures earlier, which are that 80% of children in special schools did not get any provision at all. That is not acceptable. Whatever we need to be put in place has to be put in place to make sure that this happens. We have home provision that is advertised. You have to be over 18 or vetted to do it. We have seen cases where it was advertised on social media. Parents are advertising looking for someone to give them that provision for the summer. I have seen professionals and teachers on social media advertising that they would engage in summer provision and taking two, three, four or five children for a day. They are not getting individual-based provision, which is what was set out. That is why there is a strong focus on that today. It needs to be changed for next year.

I am making a request of the teachers' unions and particularly of the principals' organisation because ultimately, many decisions come to the board of management and principal. I have seen 2023 school programmes in place for the school year which have, as of two months ago, made the decision not to do summer provision next year. That is not acceptable. Should each of the 136-odd special primary schools provide, at a minimum, summer provision in 2023 for the 8,000 children with extremely high needs? It has to happen. It was mentioned that we should look at the ETB system, which is a State system with State schools, about providing it at post-primary level but in general, all the schools are State-owned. Will the witnesses say here today that every school should provide it? It is up to the State to put resources into the schools but we need schools to be open to doing it. We need to ascertain what staff can work in it. We have had evidence and met groups representing ECCE workers with level 6 and 7 education who cannot work in a school-based programme.