Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. The summer programme has expanded significantly in the past three years and almost €40 million is provided now for it, which is double the funding from when this Government took up office in 2020. The summer programme for 2023 was available to all schools that wished to run it.

There was 50% increase in the number of special schools that participated in the school programme. The main priority for this year, in the summer just gone by, was that those children with the most complex educational needs especially in special schools should have access to a school-based summer programme. The Department of Education has already commenced planning for 2024 in the hope that more schools will participate and I encourage them to do so.

I am also informed the progressing disability services, PDS, roadmap for children's disabilities and the disability action plan will be published in the next few weeks. That roadmap focuses on increasing staffing and also using innovation in the CDNTs. There will be new therapist grades. Therapy roles will be listed in the critical skills for people seeking work permits. There will be sponsorship of master's conversion programmes. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and the Minister, Deputy Harris, are engaging on additional CAO places for therapists in particular so that we can train more and have more coming through the system.

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