Mr. Frank Hanlon:

I thank the Senator. She raised a couple of questions on the summer programme. The home-based element of it has always been there and it is effectively where a school is not running the programme and a child is eligible they are entitled to get a home-based programme instead. That means the parents recruit a tutor to come to the house and give up to 40 hours of tuition. It is not what we necessarily want to see because our preference is always for the school to run the programme and for the children to be engaging with other children and thriving in that type of environment. Any school that runs it will say it is hugely beneficial when the children come back in September, etc. It is there as an option if the school is not running the programme. The fact more and more schools are running the programme means we are seeing slightly fewer children taking up that option, which is good, or having to take up that option. Last year we started it and we are promoting it again this year. Even within the home-based programme we have a few groups doing it in a kind of private capacity so they can take in the kids if the school is not running it. We would like to promote that more. We also allow children to do it in a group setting, so we are telling tutors they can take groups of to three children together and do it with them. They are in with other kids, etc., and it just makes for a better environment to do it.

Just to clear up another point, anyone taking part in the scheme, whether SNAs or teachers, are paid for it. There is not any volunteerism required for the summer programme. We pay any staff who are taking part for it, just to clarify that.