Mr. Andy Pike:

Vetting is a real issue, no matter who is providing summer provision. When you approach a summer programme, you cannot carry your vetting with you. You need to go back to the Garda, fill in a fresh form and get it done, which can take weeks. If the circulars come out as late as they did last year, it is a difficult timeframe to get vetting updated. That is a practical issue but it is to do with the legislation around vetting. That is within the gift of the Government to do. It has always been in the gift of the Government to take this seriously.

I am not sure I agree that all schools are State-run schools. My job in industrial relations would be much easier if they were but it is because they are independent that we are having this conversation. If you looked at national schools or education systems in other countries, a department of education or government could ensure there is some form of provision in every school. Our Government cannot do that because of the structure of the school sector. A safety net could be provided and we would have no difficulty in recommending that SNAs worked in such programmes, should they wish to. We encourage SNAs to participate in summer provision where their school is able to provide it. There are real issues about the time of year the Department chooses to notify schools and about supports for schools that have never done it before. In the 80% of the sector which may not at the moment be considering running a summer programme, I do not know how many of those schools have run a programme before and how many have not but for those that have not, there are many questions to answer. It is in the gift of the Department to answer them.

Other arms of the State are available to help provide some sort of provision. ETBs have a statutory responsibility, there are education centres and we have the NCSE.

If there is a shortfall in any region there are arms of the State, in one form or another, that could help. It is best done in the same school a student is attending but where that is not possible we entirely accept the Government should be looking at providing something elsewhere. It is a surprise it has taken this long for that it to happen.