Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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292. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department is taking any steps to streamline the application process for the summer programme for parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40215/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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The Summer Programme is an educational programme providing supports to children with special educational needs during the summer months. All schools are given an opportunity to run a programme, particularly in special schools, for those children who need it the most.

The aim of the Summer Programme is to ensure that these children can continue to be supported, nurtured and encouraged to engage in a fun and inclusive educational setting. Our main priority is ensuring that those children with the most complex special educational needs, especially in special schools, should have access to a school-based summer programme.

Where a place on the school-based programme is unavailable or a school is not running the school-based programme, a place on the home-based programme is available.

In relation to the application process for the summer programme, it is schools who make applications.  To assist schools and parents in planning for the summer months, the following steps have been taken to make the process more efficient:

1. Early publication. Details of the school-based programme are published early in the first quarter of the calendar year while details of the home-based programme are typically published in May.  In doing so, schools are given adequate time to sign up for and to prepare a school-based programme.  In 2025, details of the school-based programme were published on the 13th of February while details of the home-based were published on the 16th of May.
2. Guidelines and information. Posters, FAQs and detailed instructions have been developed and are updated annually to assist parents, schools and staff to understand requirements and to create awareness in relation to deadlines.  Full details of the supports available through the Summer Programme can be found on www.gov.ie/summerprogramme.
3. Centralised application portals. Schools register their interest in running a school-based programme via a centralised registration portal. For the home-based programme, schools register eligible children, on behalf of parents, via a centralised registration portal. Once registered, schools and parents receive immediate confirmation about the status of their application.
4. Workforce portals. To help schools and parents source a teacher/SNA for the summer programme in their local area, the IPPN has created a Summer Programme Noticeboard for teachers and SNAs to advertise their availability for the programme. Parents can also post notices on the board to source suitable candidates. The Summer Programme Noticeboard is available on www.educationposts.ie.
5. Support. A dedicated department helpline at 090 648 4292 and email accounts are also available for schools (schoolsummerprogramme@education.gov.ie) and parents (homebasedsummerprogram@education.gov.ie) to provide support and address any specific queries regarding the current year’s Summer Programme.

My department’s ultimate goal remains to ensure that every child with special educational needs continues to be supported both in school and on the Summer Programme. The Summer Programme plays a vital role in achieving this and we are committed to expanding the programme’s reach and impact each year so that every child can benefit.