Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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466. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when payments for teachers and SNA’s who facilitated the Home-Based Summer Programme in 2023 will be issued; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56327/23]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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Details of 2023 Summer Programme were announced by the Department on 9 February 2023. Again, all schools were given an opportunity to run a programme for those children that need it the most.

The main priority in 2023 has been that those children with the most complex special educational needs, especially in special schools, should have access to a school-based summer programme.

The aim of the Department is to meet the needs of families and to ensure every eligible child is provided with a summer programme. The preferred approach is that the Summer Programme is provided for children in school settings where children may have access to fully qualified teachers, adapted fun based activity programmes, special needs assistants and interaction with student peers. The school-based programmes provide a more holistic experience for students and help retain the important connection with school and peers. However, the Department does recognise that not all schools would have been in a position to provide a school-based programme. In such instances, a home-based Programme is available for students with complex special educational needs where the school-based programme is unavailable.

It is important that the home-based element of the Summer Programme provides support for the education and/or care needs of students with complex special educational needs during the summer break period.

To facilitate processing of payments for the 2023 home-based Summer Programme, it was recommended that claims for payment should be submitted as soon as possible after the programme of tuition/care support had concluded and no later than the deadline date of 8th September 2023. Payments for correctly completed claims then commenced issuing on 28th September 2023. This in line with 2022 Summer Programme schedule.

Of the over 12,700 claims received in respect of the 2023 home-based Summer Programme, 99% have now been paid. The remaining fully completed claims are expected be paid in the coming weeks.

The Department wishes to sincerely thank teachers and SNAs who participated in the Summer Programmes in 2023.