Ministers urged to extend year for special schools 

Josepha Madigan said the Summer Programme is targeting educational and behavioural regression due to school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters has written to ministers Norma Foley and Josepha Madigan calling for the extension of the school year in special schools to reduce the impact of the long summer break.

Committee chair Deputy Michael Moynihan said that feedback from parents reveals that 26 out of Ireland's 126 special schools have already advised parents they will not run any school-based summer programme this year, even prior to guidelines being issued on July provision.