Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Autism, of which I am a member, for pushing for this debate to take place today. I welcome the report on the summer programme produced by the committee.

From her work, the Minister of State will be aware of the background and details of many of the parents and groups, and she will have heard their testimonies at the committee hearings last year on the July provision, or lack thereof. Many of those who needed provision most did not get it. The committee highlighted the urgent need to ensure no autistic child is left without a place in 2023. It agreed that because of the impact on the lives of persons with autism and their families, including the regression and chaos, it was necessary to produce an interim report last November.

Many parents had to take unpaid leave last year, which had a major impact on their already stretched incomes. It is now three months since the report was produced, so it is wise to get an update on where the recommendations stand and ensure problems concerning the implementation of the summer programme will be resolved in the next two to three months. Some schools have stated in advance that they will not be providing the programme in 2023.

The Department of Education's figures for 2021 show 80% of children in special schools had no access to the programme, while fewer than 5% of the 8,000 children in special needs schools got the full four weeks recommended. The committee felt it had a duty of care to children and their families, such that this would not be repeated.

We know what the key issues are. They have been read out already but it is important to go back over them very briefly. They include regression over the summer holiday period; strain on carers and their families; delays in schools confirming participation in the programme; the expansion of the cohort to whom the summer programme is available and targeting pupils most in need of the service; staffing for the summer programme; the need for incentives for teachers and special needs assistants to participate in the programme and for broadening out; the time allocation for schools to arrange for the provision of a summer programme and the supporting of the schools in advance; the refusal of schools to offer the summer programme; ensuring funding available for the programme is available; and the allocation of funding to schools for the programme.

The Minister of State made a point on liaison officers. Will she expand on that when wrapping up? She said 9,000 people working in the summer programme last year got paid by September. The work was done in July. I cannot understand how it takes two months to get paid. Many teachers are not on contracts and generally try to work during the summer, or else they go on social welfare during the summer because they do not get paid. If they do the work and are not paid until September, October, November or December, as Deputy Tully outlined, it has to be addressed. All of these issues have to be ironed out to convince people to get involved in the programme and so they will know they will get paid within two to three weeks.

I want to ask the Minister of State about the recommendations. The first is, "That, notwithstanding the positive aspects of expanding the cohort of pupils that may participate in the Summer Programme, priority access to a school-based Summer Programme be given to those with conditions which place them most at risk of regression during the summer recess period, such as Autism Spectrum Condition." Will the Minister of State tell us how many special schools have committed at this stage to offering a summer programme to the children? We need to find out this detail.

The second recommendation is "That the Department of Education establishes a dedicated liaison team to provide information". The Minister of State said this has not been set up. Maybe the committee could get a report, although probably not tonight, on the schools the liaison officers have attended and the feedback.

The third recommendation is "That the Department of Education liaises closely with the boards of management of special schools to identify and address any issues that would inhibit their ability to proceed with a comprehensive, school-based Summer Programme". Maybe a report could be provided to the committee – again, not here – on whether this has happened. Are there problems? Are there indications that special schools cannot deliver on the programme? What needs to be done to assist such schools?

The fourth recommendation is, "That the Department of Education establish a protocol whereby the resources of schools can be pooled together to ensure that the Summer Programme is made available in at least one school in every large town in the State." That is very important. The resources should be put into the schools but, if they cannot be, the inspectors and liaison officers should know immediately that they must consider the general area and try to get at least one or two schools on board to offer the programme.

The fifth recommendation is, "That the Department of Education engages with the relevant teachers' and special needs assistants' trade unions to identify and resolve any pay anomalies and any delays in making payment to staff." Will the Minister of State revert to us and state she has in place a HR programme that can allow for the making of payments within two or three weeks to those who work in the programme? That would be a huge boost. It would probably get many of the teachers who are not on permanent contracts and who look for work during the summer to buy into the programme. That would be very important.

The sixth recommendation is that the Department of Education should expand the range of professions that may participate in the summer programme to include the likes of child psychologists and speech and language therapists. Will the Minister of State give us an update on that? Has this been approached in respect of children's disability network team members and other workers such as those in occupational therapy and early childhood care, particularly third level students in the final two years? There has been a discussion with the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science on how third level students could play a crucial role in supporting the summer programme. It would give them great educational experience.

The seventh recommendation is, "That the Department of Education engages with the relevant regulators for the above-named professions and advise them of the opportunities to participate in the Summer Programme". Again, if the Minister of State cannot give us the information tonight, she might let the committee know in the next week or so whether engagement with the universities has started.

The eighth recommendation is "That the Department of Education, in conjunction with the Garda National Vetting Bureau, resolve any difficulties with vetted staff working in different schools". That is key. Those concerned should nearly be encouraged now to start. If you are working in one school, you do not need to be revetted to work in a different one. Complications come with that.

These are the sorts of details we need to see coming through this month. We need to see things tied down in April and early May. Will the Minister of State revert to me on these points tonight if she has the information? If not, will she do so in writing?

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