Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, who is here in her capacity of having responsibility for special educational needs. It is fantastic that we have this new programme. The July provision was always one of those titles that was slightly confusing and it is great to see the name change to the "summer programme". I spoke with a couple of school principals this morning to get some feedback. The timing of the announcement is extremely welcome. The late announcements around the programme in previous years were very challenging. The timing of this announcement for 2023 will allow principals and schools to plan ahead and have people in place. It is challenging when information is given at the last minute. Schools are very positive about this change.

The Minister of State mentioned in her press release this morning and in her speech that all schools will have an opportunity to run the programme. This means more than 4,000 schools, including 3,200 or so primary schools and another 770 or so post-primary schools, can get involved. All of those schools can take up the summer programme and benefit from it. We need to look at how the Department can support that. The Minister of State highlighted that, where possible, it should be a school-based programme and, where necessary, it will be provided in another shape or format. It is crucial that the programme is being offered through the schools and in a school setting. It will offer real support for students over the summer months.

It is fantastic that more than 45,000 students participated this year, as the Minister of State indicated, which amounts to 1,000 schools, or nearly a quarter of the total, running a programme. This is an increase of approximately 18% on the previous year. I hope there will be targets for next year. Will she comment on the targets she would like to see in terms of the number of schools that might complete the programme within the €40 million in funding that is being given?

The Minister of State noted there was an expanded summer programme in 2020 and she introduced the first inclusion summer programme in 2021. That allowed for the accommodation of all the children in special classes, with the programme operating in primary, post-primary and special schools. In Roscommon and Galway, which I represent, we have a number of band 1 DEIS schools. One of the only primary schools included in the expansion of DEIS is in the Ballinasloe area. There are challenges in that area around Pobal funding and issues for young families, particularly in the context of social backgrounds. I was interested to hear the DEIS programme includes numeracy and literacy camps. Supports for students at an early age are crucial, as are the supports for students from Ukraine, more than 1,000 of whom, as the Minister of State indicated, have attended some of these camps.

I would like to explore, if not today then perhaps at another time, how we can develop the home-based programme. One of the key issues for children is the transition from primary to secondary school and from secondary to third level. It is known that this can be a very stressful time for students and their families as they make the transition and get used to new students. All through the lockdowns, it was a huge issue for young children who were not able to socialise in ways that were possible before. The summer camps are crucial for enabling children to engage in a positive way and to enter school having met some buddies beforehand and understanding what school is about and what is expected of students. All of that is really helpful. I would like to hear how we can develop well-being supports within the programme to facilitate these transitions. I know it is hard to include everything within a set amount of time but supporting transition is one of the key benefits of these types of summer programmes.

Staffing can be a challenge but I am delighted to hear there will be an administrator role for preparation of the summer programme. That will be key for schools. There will also be supports in place for the teachers, special needs assistants, SNAs, and support staff who will be running the programmes. The Minister of State mentioned staff can come from different sectors. Will she give more detail on the qualifications that might be needed for these types of roles? It is great to encourage participation from other sectors, including the early years sector. I am curious as to whether there might be any role for graduates coming out of the teaching training colleges, working with experienced teachers on these summer programmes. Would such a role be confined to graduates or is there potentially a role for students during their earlier years of study?

As the Minister of State noted, one of the interesting and effective measures that has been introduced is the earlier, centralised payment for teachers and SNAs. It is probably a real challenge to encourage teachers and SNAs to come back in for two weeks after they reach the end of a packed year trying to manage students at whatever level. Are any other incentives being considered? The centralised early payment and the way schools can engage potentially from November or December in bringing people on board are important measures.

I thank the Minister of State for her work on this issue. Since she took on her role, we have seen a focus on special educational needs, but this programme is for all children. That is what is really wonderful. It is for all children and all schools. Currently, 1,000 schools are benefiting from the programme and it will be wonderful to see it being rolled out for more schools. Will she comment on her vision and targets for what this might look like?