Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his contribution. As for the different analyses of last week's contributions from the officials and what happened on Friday, basically what happened on Thursday was under certain health advice but Friday changed everything. On Friday, the NPHET advice was that schools will reopen and the school summer programme could go ahead. When we were given the green light, obviously everything moved into a more expansive phase also. My officials know where I stand on this. I want to be as inclusive as possible and I want to be as ambitious as possible but I am also a realist. I am aware that when one is relying on the voluntary effort of schools to open up, combined with the choice of parents as to whether they want to use the home-school programme or the school-based programme, one is dealing with a number of unknowns. The known aspect that we have is through a consultation. The Deputy asked what consultation there has been. We have consulted with the National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education, NABMSE, which is the representative body for more than 126 special schools in the State. They have been very honest and upfront about where they see the challenges. There were discussions on the summer programme but they are also thinking of August and September. We have to balance the NPHET advice and the protocols we have on what can work, be it home based or school based.

We have to ensure parents have the confidence to send their children to schools if the schools should decide to open. The Deputy is correct to ask about the measures that will be in place in relation to hand sanitisers and equipment to ensure schools are clean enough. All those details will be provided on Friday through the guidelines. I will get back to the Deputy on the number of SNAs working with Tusla, because that number is changing all the time.

On the question around summer works, our protocol and protocol guidelines are developed in Tullamore in the planning and building unit. We have a budget for this year and that budget has not changed. The budget for the building programme was decided on last October. The Department is working closely with schools which are ready to go to tender or which are ready to go to construction. We are working through those. The Deputy's specific question was around summer works and he is correct in saying this is the time to get that work done, when the schools are vacant. That will go ahead in any schools that got funding for summer works for this summer. This is the time to do emergency works as well. I am glad to say that in the past number of weeks work has restarted on the Western Building Systems schools with which we had issues. Obviously, the workplace guidelines that construction workers work within in general apply within the education sector as well.

I wish to return to the issue of the summer programme. The reason I want to have an expansive summer programme is that we have identified, as has the Deputy and as have parents, that there are gaps in education. There is regression, and the Deputy will have had constituency representation on this and will have had direct contact with parents. Parents can see that there has been a regression in their son's or daughter's progress. Equally, schools have been very proactive in reaching out. I am hearing great stories. For example, in Scoil Mhuire, Glenties, the SNA has arrived at the house and waved in the window at the student over the past couple of months. Principals are staying in touch with parents, staying connected. However, it is no substitute for the physical presence within the school. That is why the focus of the summer programme will be on reconnecting. It is a focus on education. There will be a reconnection to ensure that the move back to school for many vulnerable students in August and September will not be as big a leap as it otherwise would have been.

I said last week that I would be in here today without the guidelines because I am bringing it to Cabinet this Friday, but on Friday parents will have the opportunity to register. That will give us an opportunity to see what the level of demand is. We are going to work very closely with those parents to make this happen.

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