Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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294. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking to provide young persons with non-formal educational and outdoor activities resources and opportunities for the summer months in the context of an absence of usual summer camps. [9384/20]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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It is regrettable that any summer camps have been or will be cancelled as they can be a memorable time for students who participate in them.

Non-formal educational and outdoor activities resources and opportunities for the summer months including summer camps are not provided by my Department. These activities are normally provided for by organisations that charge a fee for their product/service and my Department does not endorse any one product or service. Some services are offering online options this year, the option is available should families decide they wished to pay for these camps.

My Department has a general policy of encouraging the use of school facilities by community and other groups where this is possible and following consultation with the relevant school authorities, published Guidelines on the use of School Buildings outside of school hours. These guidelines can be viewed on my Department's website at this link:

https://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Policy-Reports/guidelines-on-the-use-of-school-buildings-outside-of-school-hours.pdf 

It is recognised that schools play an important role in their wider communities and many schools make their facilities available outside of school hours for a variety of different uses and users. The core objective of any decision in this regard, is that any activity is operated in a safe manner and must be consistent with public health advice.