Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In May 2021 the Government announced a package of supports to allow primary and post primary to offer a summer programme for students with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage, as a COVID-19 pandemic response measure, for summer 2021.

The total funding available to provide summer programmes this year is up to €40 million, a one hundred per cent increase on the allocation for summer programmes in 2020.

The programme was developed following extensive engagement with education stakeholders, parent and disability advocacy groups.

The programme aims are to support pupils to maintain their connection with education, to build their confidence and increase their motivation, promote wellbeing and for those who are at key transition stages, help to ensure that they continue their education journey in September either in school or in further/higher education or training.

The programmes on offer this summer include a new 2-3 week summer programme available to all primary schools and an expansion of the existing programmes in special schools and classes and in DEIS schools.

Schools were required to register their interest in participating as of 25 June 2021. The registrations as of this closing date are as follows:

Post primary (no of schemes proposed to be run)

Inclusion programme	Special classes
120	4

A total of 124 post primary schools have registered

Primary(number of schemes proposed to be run)

Special Class Programme	Special School	Inclusion Programme	DEIS Primary School Literacy and Numeracy Camps
356	48	466	352*

A total of 844 primary schools (including special schools have registered as providing at least one scheme.

Totals

Total Post-Primary Schemes	Total Schemes
124	1346

A total of 968 primary and post primary schools registered for the programme

The final list of schools which participate in the 2021 summer education programme will not be available until after the programmes have concluded and claim forms have been processed by the Department. At that stage the full list of schools, including details of the breakdown of participating schools per county, can be made available.

Staff participation in the programme in 2018, 2019 and 2020 is as follows:

-	2018	2019	2020
School Programme:TeachersSNAs	9662,037	6401,454	7611,600.5
Home ProgrammeTeachersSNAs	4631 N/A	6158N/A	5,3431,386*

* SNAs were permitted to participate in the home-based programme programme for the first time in 2020

Staff figures for 2021 will not be available until September for the school-based programme, and early November for the home-based programme.