Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. On the last point, I agree with her that we need a stronger representation of SENOs on the ground. They are the local connection to the parents, and their role is an invaluable one. We recognise that, and provision has been made in the budget to increase that. If we have to do more, we will continue to do more in that space. Deputy Tully is right, and Senator Wall has referenced it, when that link is not there, it is all the more frustrating for parents, and I understand that.

Regarding the summer provision, I want to be clear that a body of work has been done. Significant supports are in place now for the running of these courses, if they are to be run by those who are, say, not within the school setting. Mr. Frank Hanlon can come in afterwards to give further details, but we are engaging. This is a new sphere and space for some of these organisations to take up. Even if we can get a few of them on board this year, it will give confidence to grow it even more next year. We are working hard with a number of organisations to get it off the ground this year, and Mr. Hanlon will come in and give a bit more detail on that.

Deputy Tully referenced the reduced hours, and the two weeks or whatever. I am conscious that some of the schools coming on board this year are doing so for the first time. They are taking the two weeks, and that is what they feel they can manage this year. However, the potential is there to grow it going forward. Equally, we have made a huge effort around the special schools, and we have offered them particular flexibility, for example, flexibilities around the week they would choose, or flexibilities around the school day. I understand that it might not suit everybody, but I would rather a school runs it for a certain number of hours than not run it at all. It is being run between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. I am great believer in the idea that if one does something once and garners experience, one has more confidence doing it the second time, and we are really in a space where we want to maximise the number of special schools in particular which are doing it. We want them to see that it can be done, and that they will be well supported by the Department. For that reason, I have already referenced the national co-ordinator, the programme manager within the schools, and the schools' organiser. There is additional grant funding for special schools as well. For example, if they run a two-week programme, there is an additional €4,000 being made available to the schools, on top of what has been given. We are really pushing the boat out this year. I am not saying we have everything absolutely smack perfect this year, but we are learning from what has gone previously. We are acknowledging that there are not enough numbers taking it up, so we are doing more and more. We will learn again from how this has worked this year, if we need to do more next year.

Deputy Tully mentioned the Middletown Centre for Autism. As she is aware, and I know she would be well placed to know it, that is a shared endeavour, North and South. We have the National Council for Special Education here. We rely on it for the training here. That equivalency is not in the North, so much of our work is led out by the NCSE. Deputy Tully is correct that, currently, we have 12. Next year, 2024, that will grow to 14. However, there is also a new package coming on stream in 2024 which Middletown will be launching. It is a particular body of work on additional supports around the three areas, which is working with the schools and teachers, parents, and the young person. There is an enhancement of that package of supports to be provided from 2024, and we will have more details on that in time. That is being worked on by Middletown, and I want to acknowledge the excellent supports that are provided. However, I think the wraparound service in 2024 has great potential going forward as well.

Regarding the assessment of need, I understand that there was a certain amount of trepidation there in view of the assessment of need. However, we have to be clear that this is a legal obligation, and it is since 21 October. Our role in education is to assist the HSE. We come in as an assistant. It is not a diagnostic-based assessment from our point of view in education; it is a needs-based assessment. Much of that work is already done within the schools and the portfolio of learning which they have. We want to be clear that before any of this was introduced, there was significant consultation with all of the partners. There were 80 schools involved in trialling it. It was trialled last summer and again last October. There is a significant body of work in it, and we are also saying that for the ongoing work which is there, we will continue to support the schools. There are advisers available to the schools, and the entire process will be reviewed by the end of this year, so that where there needs to be learning or things done differently going forward, we will do that. We gave that absolute commitment. I would like to say as well that 90% of the assessments are taking place at primary school level, rather than post-primary school, but we will do the full review.

Regarding the school inclusion model, I want to be honest about that. It was interrupted as a consequence of Covid-19, but it is back up and running in community health organisation, CHO 7. It is an ideal model, where there is a therapist based in schools. I want to recognise that the role of the therapist does not fall within our gift. It has now moved to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. However, wherever it falls, the important thing is that it falls right for the schools. There is a huge body of work there, and we are engaging, particularly with higher education institutions. We are trying to build up the provision of therapists from different disciplines coming into the schools. I take the Deputy's point about those based in the community who are coming into the schools. We are open to looking at any model which will increase and maximise the number of therapists at work in our schools. They are a fundamental part of the provision for young people. We can control the education side of it; we are dependent on others regarding the therapy side of it. However, we are very happy to engage and have engaged with the HSE. We will have ongoing engagements, but there is also a collaborative engagement with regard to increasing the number of therapists which, from a higher education point of view, can be brought on stream as well.

I cannot remember what the last question was. I should have responded to the Deputy - and Ms Mannion might come in on this as well - about the summer programme in her own area. There are 29 schools in Cavan and 33 in Monaghan. Again, we are working to build that up. Ms Mannion might come in on that.