Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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283. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an application for home-based July provision can be approved (details supplied). [28738/24]

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

The Home-based programme is only available for pupils with complex special educational needs in circumstances where their school is not running a Summer Programme or a place on a school-based programme is unavailable. Details of the Home-based programme, including full details on the eligibility criteria, were issued to schools directly on the 29th May 2024 and has been published on .

In the case referred to by the Deputy, on registering the child for the home-based summer programme, the school indicated that a place on the school-based programme was available. As per the terms and conditions of the summer programme, a place on the home-based summer programme was therefore not sanctioned.