I want to raise the issue of summer provision for children with special educational needs. It is not an added extra but in some cases that is exactly how it is being treated. A variety of people from my own constituency have contacted me with regard to this, and I expect it mirrors other areas, where sanction was sought from the Department of Education but that sanction was not given.

Which sanction?

Sanction was sought from the Department of Education for summer provision for special educational needs. This goes back to court cases where parents took the State to court for appropriate education. Where there is July provision for some weeks each year, some people are getting it for their children and some people are not. There has to be a consistency in this but there certainly is no consistency.

My understanding is that about €40 million was spent on the summer provision scheme last year.

Some people are being told they will not get it at all.

They can get it wherever people have a service to provide. The Minister has improved-----

It is the Minister who wrote-----

The Minister has added further incentives. I will ask the Minister for Education to come back on this issue to the Deputy but my understanding is that the Minister has recently brought forward proposals for this summer, again with more incentives to try to encourage the provision of summer schools and participation in summer schools.

It is a requirement, I think, that the schools themselves be willing to participate.

That is right.

Yes. There may be potential financial incentives to facilitate that. I will ask the Minister to communicate with the Deputy.