399. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware that a school (details supplied) has been forced to withdraw its summer programme due to her Department’s failure to sanction the necessary staffing levels, leaving children with special educational needs without vital supports over the summer; whether she intends on rectifying this so that the school’s summer programme can proceed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49613/26]

Details of the 2026 Summer Programme were communicated to all schools on the 6th May 2026. All schools have been offered the opportunity to run a school-based programme for children with the most complex special educational needs and those at risk of educational disadvantage.

Where a school does not intend to run a school-based programme or there is no place on the programme for an eligible child, schools were invited to make an application for the home-based programme.

It is important to note that staffing allocations are made to schools based on the number of children they are catering for in accordance with the published terms and conditions of the programme.

The staffing allocation for special class groups in the Primary School Scheme is typically the same as the special class resource allocation which exists during the school year. Where this is not the case, the Department will engage directly with individual schools so that all of the children enrolled in special classes can partake.

The staffing allocation for pupils with special educational needs and/or pupils at risk of educational disadvantage enrolled in mainstream classes is more favourable than during the school term. For each group of 12 pupils participating, one teacher and one Special Needs Assistant (SNA) is allocated. This is compared to the pupil teacher ratio of one teacher for every 23 pupils during term-time.

As communicated to all schools at the outset, it is intended that schools would be engaged with on an individual basis confirming the number of pupils approved to participate in this year’s programme, along with their school’s assigned staffing allocation. This approach ensures that each school receives clear, tailored information to support effective planning and that every child eligible for the Summer Programme is accommodated with the appropriate resources in line with the published programme terms.

In relation to the school referred to by the Deputy, department officials have been engaging directly with the school to ensure that each eligible child continues to be supported under the Summer Programme.

A Department helpline is available for schools and parents at 090 648 4292 to address any specific queries regarding this year’s Summer Programme. Queries concerning the school-based scheme can be directed to the schoolsummerprogramme@education.gov.ie. Queries concerning the Home-based scheme can be directed to the homebasedsummerprogram@education.gov.ie.