Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House and congratulate her on her appointment. The summer provision programme for 2020 is hugely important because it assists, in particular, children who have profound learning difficulties, such as autism and so on. I welcome the fact 5,000 more children will participate in summer provision this year than did last year. The Minister knows children with disabilities have been profoundly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and those children and their families have had a difficult time as a result.

St. Mary's special school in Drumcar, County Louth, is wonderful. I am aware of an eight year old child who goes to that school. A bus goes to that school during normal school times. The family of the child was delighted to hear that summer provision would apply to the school but the problem is there is no public bus or bus provided by the school for summer provision. The family is being asked to pay €35 each way for the child to get a taxi to the school.

I am not blaming anybody and people are very happy that summer provision is happening. A small number of families do not have the money and cannot afford to pay €35 in taxi fares. The problem is that, given their financial position, the family cannot beg or borrow that money. I accept that home provision is available but it is not suitable or possible for this family unit.

I ask the Minister to look again at the regulations for the small number of families who want their child to attend the special school they are used to attending. The school in question is approximately 15 miles away from the family home and there is no way the family can pay taxi fares or afford to go into debt to do so. It is not possible for the family to pay €70 and they cannot borrow that amount.

I will be happy to hear the Minister say in reply that she will consider the issue. I would say a very small number of families are affected but it would assist them and give them great happiness if their child was able to participate, for the first time in months, with the other children whom they were with pre-Covid-19. The child in question is profoundly disadvantaged, non-verbal and autistic. It would be a considerable boon to the family if he could attend at summer provision.

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