Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

No problem. I welcome the report of the committee and its recommendations in respect of the summer programme for 2023. I commend the Chair of the committee, as well as my fellow members. We met many groups and parents who have lived experience of the programme. They told us of the devastation they experienced when their child did not get access to summer provision.

The July provision scheme was established following a High Court ruling in 1993 which set down that children with additional educational need have a right to education and it was established that children with autism and additional educational need experience regression in the summer months. The aim of the scheme was to provide an extended school year for these children so as to reduce potential regression in learning during the summer holidays. The programme was only offered in special schools and schools with special classes. Where an eligible child's school was not offering a programme, funding was provided for parents to engage a teacher to provide tuition in the child's home.

When it was replaced by summer provision and the expanded programme, it was opened up to DEIS schools at primary and post-primary levels. The expansion in eligibility resulted in an increase from 15,000 children in 2019 to 80,000 in 2021. Notwithstanding the positive aspects of expanding the cohort of pupils eligible to participate in the summer programme, no plans were put in place to ensure the children most in need of the programme would retain access to it. The expansion of the programme meant that special schools and schools with special classes had to compete with the additional primary and post-primary DEIS schools for teachers and SNAs. Many teachers and SNAs opt to take part in the home-based programme. That causes additional problems as it reduces even further the pool from which special schools and schools with special classes recruit staff to deliver the programme. This has resulted in many special schools and schools with special classes struggling to find staff for the programme, with the result that many of them have stopped delivering it or reduced the period for which they run it.

Priority access must be given to those with conditions that place them most at risk of regression during the summer recess period, and it must be a school-based programme. Department of Education figures from 2021 show that 80% of children in special schools have no access to the programme and less than 5% of the 8,000 children in special schools got the full recommended four weeks. Priority access to the school-based programme is essential for these children as such a programme provides an opportunity for them to be part of a world outside their home and it gives them access to school facilities such as sensory and occupational therapy rooms and secure play areas. The home-based programme promoted by the Department is not an appropriate alternative for children with autism and additional educational needs. The NCSE has stated it is the least effective way to deliver the programme, given that many children with autism and intellectual disabilities cannot cope with and will not tolerate strangers in their home environment.

Information, communication and assistance to parents, school management and staff are also key to addressing issues that would inhibit the ability of schools to proceed with a comprehensive school-based summer programme in 2023. This should include the establishment of a dedicated school liaison team. If that is happening, I welcome it. That person or team could provide information and assistance to school management and staff in providing the programme. The issuing of guidelines as early as possible is crucial. That was cited by schools in previous years as the reason they decided not to participate in the programme.

Early engagement with trade unions is needed to identify and resolve any pay anomalies or delays in making payment to staff, which have previously prevented some personnel from taking part. I have heard of SNAs not receiving payment until December after working for a number of weeks during the summer.

Parents must be kept abreast of new and changing information and the application process must be user-friendly, with assistance in place if needed.

The range of professions eligible for employment in the programme must be extended. It should be open to a range of multidisciplinary professionals, students and trainees, including nurses, doctors, child psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, early childcare workers and respite workers. This approach benefits not only the children but also the professionals, who would gain valuable experience. Protocols to pool schools' resources should be put in place to ensure the programme is available in at least one school in each large town.

The Department of Education, in conjunction with the Garda National Vetting Bureau, needs to resolve any difficulties with vetted staff working in different schools to provide the summer programme. Sinn Féin brought forward the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) (Amendment) Bill 2022 which would assist in this regard as it sets out to provide a register of generalised consents, which can help in situations where multiple vetting applications would otherwise have to be made. It would allow an individual to apply for inclusion on this register and allow multiple organisations to vet the individual in question without the full process having to be completed every time.

To summarise, the most important points are that priority is given to children most in need and that it is made certain that these children have access to the school-based programme.

An issue of which I was made aware today that may impact on the delivery of the school programme is that the Department of Education is proposing key changes to professional development courses which are undertaken by primary school teachers outside of school time. The Department has set out that all online courses must contain eight hours of real-time learning. If this goes ahead, the changes may have a knock-on impact on the delivery of summer provision programmes because many teachers will no longer be in a position to support the programme as they will be completing their professional development courses. There was no consultation with the Irish National Teachers Organisation, INTO, on this. There was no suggestion, or even possibility, of looking at it on a pilot basis and there has been no research produced as evidence to support and ground such changes in the summer course delivery. There is a need for joined-up thinking. We need to make sure the maximum number of teachers, SNAs and other staff are available to take part in the summer programme so that the children who most need it are able to access it.

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