Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I think we get the best results from these sessions when we ask questions and get answers. As such, I will ask the Minister some questions, invite him to provide an answer and then come back on them. I apologise in advance for interjecting or rushing the Minister. There are a lot of questions to be asked.

In the absence of any further clarity being provided today, I wish to go back to the statement on the summer education programme which was released by the Department last Friday. In it, the Minister is quoted as stating: "It gives us an opportunity to provide a vital additional support for some of the children with significant special educational needs and those who have been at risk of educational disadvantage since schools closed in March."

At primary school level, is this a mix of students who would traditionally avail of the regular July provision, with those at greater risk of educational disadvantage now being added? If that is the case, and I understand from the Minister's response that it is, how does he propose to meet the very diverse, complex and different needs of those students with the same programme, considering those students will have been off school for six months?

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