Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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526. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to address the lack of supports for single working parents of children with autism (details supplied) during school holidays, as they rely on term-time-only afterschool services, and need further assistance when schools and afterschool are closed for holidays; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17337/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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From an education perspective, the Summer Programme is one support that is available during school holidays for children with autism. Details of this year's Summer Programme were recently announced on Thursday, 13th February 2025. Over €60m in funding, secured in Budget 2025, is being allocated for this year's Summer Programme allowing it to continue to be run in line with how it has been implemented over the past three years. All of this funding will be used to meet the needs of our most vulnerable children.

All schools will have an opportunity to run a programme over the summer months for children with complex special educational needs, including children with autism, and those at risk of educational disadvantage. These children can continue to be supported, nurtured and encouraged to engage in a fun and inclusive educational setting.

Our main priority this year continues to be that those children with the most complex special educational needs, especially in special schools, should have access to a school-based summer programme. Depending on the individual school and on their staffing resources, the school-based Summer Programme can run for 2 to 5 weeks.

This year, the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Education have partnered together in a pilot project designed to combat holiday hunger. Schools who are eligible to avail of the School Meal Programme during school term will be able to make meals available during this year's Summer Programme. This will help to alleviate the costs for schools associated with running a Summer Programme and for parents. It will also be in addition to the other supports and measures already in place.

To register their interest in running a school-based summer programme this year, schools will need to apply via the online registration portal. This portal is due to close on the 11th of April 2025.

Where a school-based programme is not being run or a place is unavailable, the Home-based Programme will be available for those children with complex special education needs. Under this provision, parents can engage a tutor or a Special Needs Assistant to provide 10 hours of tuition/care support each week for 4 weeks. Further details of the home-based programme will be released in May 2025 and will be published on gov.ie - Summer Programme 2025: home-based programme.

To ascertain if their child can avail of either the school-based or home-based Summer Programme, parents would be advised to contact their child's school.