Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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83. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the funding available for summer camps for children with complex needs or autism. [30153/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Details of the 2024 Summer Programme were published on the 21 of 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, including children with autism, should have access to a school-based summer programme. Depending on the school type, the school-based programme can run for 2 to 5 weeks during the summer months.

Where a school is not running a Summer Programme or a place on a school-based programme is unavailable, the Home-based programme remains available for pupils with complex special educational needs. Under the Home-based Summer programme, grant funding is made available so that parents/legal guardians can engage the services of a teacher or a SNA to provide tuition or care support on a 1:1 basis in the child’s home for 10 hours per week, up to a maximum of 4 weeks.

The Department will also approve a group arrangement between parents/legal guardians and private providers, such as pre-schools, subject to full compliance with the published terms and conditions for group arrangements and prior approval having been granted by the Department. The group provider must be sourced and procured by the parents/legal guardians.

Further information on this year’s Summer Programme can be found at www.gov.ie/summerprogramme. A Department helpline is also available for schools and parents at 090 648 4292 to address any specific queries regarding the Summer Programme. Alternatively, queries concerning the school-based scheme can be directed to schoolsummerprogramme@education.gov.ie or, for the home-based scheme, can be directed to the homebasedsummerprogram@education.gov.ie.