Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State is very welcome. It is good to have her in, particularly to talk about a subject as important as this. I am standing in for my colleague, Senator Warfield, and I will do my best to address some of the key topics the Minister of State has raised.

The summer programme is an opportunity to provide additional supports for children with complex special educational needs and for those who are at greatest risk of educational disadvantage. The few weeks of the summer programme in school can really help students who need that extra bit of help and it can also prevent regression in children with additional needs during the long break in the summer. Where it is available, it is a great support for parents and families as well. Indeed, some families have come to rely on this support throughout the summer. It can be a kind of respite for them during the break and can help them to cope. It is therefore important that there is consistency on how it is delivered each year.

It has to be acknowledged that progress has been made in terms of the additional funding, which is very much welcomed. In particular, I welcome the support given to the Ukrainian children, which was necessary. It is great to see it happening and it is important to acknowledge that.

The outstanding points where we express some concerns are in relation to seeing what else can be done to further improve the uptake from schools for the programme. It is still relatively low in primary, secondary and special schools, despite the fact that we know there is a huge demand out there. This aspect is worrying when you think of the risks of educational and behavioural regression for many children who need these reports. One of the feedback issues that comes to us concerns the frustration that sometimes, the guidelines are issued a little late in the year. That can sometimes be a disincentive for schools to run the programme. Perhaps that is something the Minister of State could comment on or report back on in terms of progress in that regard.

The other issue is that there are still concerns from schools about making sure they are properly equipped, both administratively and in terms of teaching resources. Additional administrative supports were provided this year, which is something Sinn Féin has been calling for some time. It has certainly helped but we probably would accept that there needs to be further upscaling in this regard. The issue of early payment was a big stumbling block and again, it is welcome to see action on that as it was a huge disincentive. As others have referenced quite correctly, sometimes teachers, in the very demanding role they have, are physically and mentally exhausted by the time the summer break comes. Of course, we have to recognise that. In that regard, the broader flexibility the Minister of State has introduced in looking to others to come in and do some of that work is welcome. In that respect, I ask again for the Government to look at the issue of payment, particularly for SNAs, which does not reflect the quality of the work they do. It is an ongoing issue and while I accept it is a broader issue, if we are looking to see how we can further incentivise some of the best people available to do that work, the issue of pay then must be acknowledged and further addressed.

As others have referenced, we are asking teachers to give up at least part of their summer and that is quite a big ask. The Department continues to need to examine all possible incentives, whether they are pay-based or other forms of incentives, to ensure the schools have enough staff. Otherwise, the uptake from schools will continue to be a challenge.

I want to touch on home-based tuition. While this is undoubtedly a preferable option for some children, there has been some feedback that home provision of the summer programme is not the right solution for everyone. This was highlighted by the National Council for Special Education, which recently made the point that home-based summer programmes are probably the least effective way to deliver the scheme. Obviously, it depends on the child and on the family situation. There are obvious practical reasons it might not be suitable for some, as some families just do not have a space for that work to take place in the home. There is also a lack of socialisation. That is why it is important that in-school summer programmes are available.When they are not, parents are advised of the option of home tuition as a solution when it is not necessarily the right, best or most optimum solution for that child. The various streams of the summer programme are a very valuable resource. I know the Minister of State and her Department are working on making it more accessible. I want to acknowledge that and say it is very welcome.

The most important thing to say, however, is that the summer programme needs to be resourced properly and consistently. Continued increased resources are very much required. Further thought also needs to be given to staffing issues to ensure what else we can do. As I said, that issue of pay, particularly for special needs assistants, SNA, is one that all of us hopefully agree needs to be addressed. Again, I acknowledge the work that has been done and very much welcome this opportunity to have a debate on the issue.