Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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451. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a child who is accepted for the summer provision can also be approved for summer tuition in a home-based programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26549/22]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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This year’s Summer Programme will allow all primary and post-primary schools to offer a summer programme for students with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage. In line with last year, the total funding available to provide summer programmes this year is up to €40 million. Building on the 2021 programme, all schools, both primary and post-primary, are encouraged to provide this valuable programme to their students. In 2021 nearly 38,000 children availed of the summer programme, an increase of 60% from the previous year.

It is important to note that school-based programmes provide a more holistic experience for students and help retain the important connection with school and peers. Where a school offers a school based programme, it is not open to students of that school to also access the home-based programme.  This is in line with the approach taken for the past two years.

It should be noted that children participating in a 2 week school-based programme receive in excess of 40 hours tuition which is the maximum that can be availed of in the 4 week home-based programme.

Because of the overwhelming preference for children to take part in school based programmes where possible it is an important part of the general rules that home based tuition is not available where a school based programme is being provided. However it is recognized that there may be exceptional circumstances where home tuition could be provided to a student instead of the school programme even where their school is running a programme. While it is not possible to be prescriptive of all possible exceptional circumstances, parents may contact the Department directly with any queries.