Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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273.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a grant (details supplied) will be announced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24734/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Details of the 2024 Summer Programme were published on the 21 March 2024. The Department of Education also recently announced that funding of €40m has been secured again to ensure that a comprehensive summer programme will be available in 2024. This builds on the successful summer programmes of the last three years. The full funding of €40m is available and, as in previous years, all of the funding is utilised to meet the needs of our most vulnerable children.

All schools have an opportunity to run a programme over the summer months for those children who need it the most so that these children can continue to be supported, nurtured and encouraged to engage in a fun and inclusive educational setting.

The main priority again in 2024 is that those children with the most complex special educational needs, especially in special schools, should have access to a school-based summer programme. Where their school is not running a Summer Programme or a place on a school-based programme is unavailable, the Home-based programme is also available for pupils with complex special educational needs.

As in previous years, details of the Home-based Summer Programme are published much later than the School-based Summer Programme. In 2023, details of the Home-based programme were also issued in May 2023. This is to ensure that as many schools and as many children as possible have signed up for the school-based Summer Programme. The portal for the school-based summer programme closed on 17 May 2024.

Details of the Home-based programme, including full details on the eligibility criteria, were issued to schools directly on the 29 May 2024 and has been published on .

A Department helpline is available for schools and parents at 090 648 4292 to address any specific queries regarding year’s Summer Programme. Queries concerning the school-based scheme can be directed to: . Queries concerning the Home-based scheme can be directed to: .