Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The contribution prior to Deputy Feighan's had some more technical questions on which information will be provided on Friday. The Deputy asked about parents requesting home tuition. That is very much part of this scheme and we will have more detail on it. The protocol on work practices for the tutor coming into the house needs to be mapped out before that happens. I reassure parents that the home-based tuition that happened last year and in previous years will also be an option for this year.

On opening up and all that, I will be bringing a memo to Cabinet on Friday and we will have a roadmap.

Two Sinn Féin Deputies spoke about parents' fears of regression and the gaps that are very obvious in their child's education, something we have also identified in the Department. That is why we are very anxious to have this more expanded summer programme. It will also be a different summer programme where we will work very closely with the Department of Health. One of the pilot projects I was really anxious to progress in my time as Minister was the school inclusion model where we have teachers working side by side with the health professionals, including speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. We will ensure that the co-operation between the Departments of Education and Skills, and Health over recent weeks will not be lost.

I assure Deputy Feighan that I have engaged intensively with the Connacht-Ulster alliance. My colleague, the Minister of State, Mary Mitchell O'Connor, has been very proactive. She has been to Galway a number of times. She has been to Sligo and has been up to LYIT in Letterkenny. Dr. Seán Duffy has been appointed as executive lead. I agree with the Deputy that he has the experience and skill set to drive it forward. I expect an application for the Connacht-Ulster alliance technological university to be submitted in quarter 4 of this year, which with time flying by will be very shortly.

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