Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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171. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools participating in the summer programme for 2024, by county, including a full list for County Dublin, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26802/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Details of the 2024 Summer Programme were published on the 21^st March 2024. 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. 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.

All the supports and incentives introduced, both in 2024 and in previous years, have been developed and designed to increase participation by allowing all schools to provide the Summer Programme. These measures are aimed at maximising the number of children who can participate in a school-based programme with a specific focus on ensuring children with the most complex needs receive the targeted support.

The information sought is currently being collated and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy.