€40m summer programme for 'maximum number of schools'

Education Minister Norma Foley with pupils of Stanhope St Primary School, Dublin, and Minister of State Josepha Madigan at the announcement of the Summer Programme 2023. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The education minister has announced details of a €40m summer programme which will have a specific focus on supporting special schools this year.

All schools will have an opportunity to run a programme for those children that need it most.

Last year, 42,000 children took part in the summer programme and while Education Minister Norma Foley said no target has been set for this year, she is hoping the "maximum number of schools and the maximum number of children be involved".

The main focus for this year’s summer programme is that those children with the most complex special educational needs have access to a school-based programme.

This year schools will be able to recruit newly-qualified teachers graduating this summer, as well as undergraduate student teachers who have registered with the Teaching Council, in order to ensure programmes can go ahead.

Schools can also recruit other external workers such as early childcare workers, carers, and other students in relevant areas such as therapy, nursing, and social care to take part in their programme.

An online portal will be available to schools to submit payment claims to simplify the process.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion Josepha Madigan has said that any child that is known to the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) currently has a place and that work has already started to ensure children and young people have a place ahead of the next academic year.

It comes after many parents of children with autism struggled to find schools places last September.

Ms Madigan said the department has already written to all secondary schools to make it "very clear to them" that they will be required to open special classes over the next three to five years, where capacity is needed.

"We need to ensure that what's happened historically doesn't continue into the future, so there is a lot of intense and ongoing engagement on that," she said.