Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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Question 32: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the provisions he has put in place for schools in which their July Programme overseer has been withdrawn. [25796/12]

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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Question 56: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a list of all schools on a county basis that have had their funding withdrawn for their 2012 July Programme overseer. [25797/12]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 58: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will reinstate the overseer position in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 5 for the 2012 July Programme. [25794/12]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 65: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools that have had their July Programme overseer funding withdrawn for 2012. [25795/12]

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 77: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding cuts in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Offaly. [25960/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 32, 56, 58, 65 and 77 together.

The July Education Programme (July provision) allows schools to open for the month of July, to accommodate pupils with severe and profound educational needs, and children with autism. In order to facilitate the July Education Programme, four payments are payable to school staff: 1. a Preparation allowance (generally paid to Principals), 2. an Overseer allowance (generally paid to Principals). 3. an allowance payment to Special Needs Assistants for work on delivery of the programme.4. a payment to teachers for delivering the programme.

While the payment to teachers is being fully maintained, the Preparation and Overseer allowances and the allowance payment to SNAs, fall within the terms of the public service wide review of allowances currently being undertaken by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Given the exceptional circumstances of these allowances, and the potential disruption to planning and delivery of services in the near future, I can advise that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has provided sanction for these allowances to be paid to principals and SNAs for this year. A revised letter will issue from my Department in the coming days to this effect.

If schools decide not to offer July provision, my Department will make home tuition allowances available to the parents of children who would qualify to participate in July provision.

I am committed to continuing to support the educational needs of all children, and sincerely hope that most schools who have evidence of local demand will continue to offer July provision as a way of supporting those children and their parents.