Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 7 September 2018
353. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to give consideration to extending the July education programme into August in order to maximise the support to young persons with disabilities and to provide additional respite for their carers; if the scheme can be made applicable to SNAs and-or teachers with specialist knowledge of the relevant disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36681/18]
View answerThe July Provision Grant Scheme provides funding for an extended school year for children with severe/profound general learning disabilities or children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Under the scheme, the school year of participating schools is extended by four weeks in July.
Special schools or mainstream schools that have special classes for autism and/or severe and profound learning disability are eligible to participate in the programme.
Each year eligible schools are invited to participate in the Programme. Participation in the scheme by the school is voluntary and subject to the availability of suitably qualified personnel in July.
Where school-based provision is not feasible, eligible students may be granted 40 hours home-based tuition (10 hours for each of the four weeks). Where an eligible school is not participating in the school based programme in 2018, it is open to parents to apply for the home based July Provision Grant Scheme. Details are available on the Department of Education and Skills website https://www.education.ie/en/Parents/Services/July-Provision/Home-Based.html .
As the July Provision scheme provides funding towards an extended school year, the qualification standard for tuition generally reflects that required in a school environment.
The Deputy may be aware that the National Council for Special Education’s Policy Advice on Educational Provision for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (2016) included a review of the July Provision Grant Scheme.
The Review, recommends that, as an alternative to the existing scheme, stakeholders should discuss the development of a national day activity scheme that provides a structured, safe, social environment for all students with complex special educational needs for one month of the summer holidays.
My Department has convened an Implementation Group with representatives of the NCSE, NEPS, the Inspectorate and representatives from other Departments and agencies to ensure that the Report’s recommendations are fully and appropriately considered.
While a number of the recommendations including those on the development of additional primary and post primary provision, have already been partially or substantially implemented, work is planned on the implementation of the remaining recommendations including those for other parties.
It is acknowledged that the implementation of a number of the recommendations including that on the development of an alternative scheme to the Extended School Year scheme will be challenging. I have asked my officials to prepare a progress report setting out expected timeframes for full implementation and I expect that report in the coming weeks.
While that work is under way, there are no plans to change the existing July Provision Scheme.
