Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2021
794. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education the estimated additional cost of increasing funding for the school-based summer July provision programme of education for children with complex needs by 5%, 10% and 25% respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31536/21]
View answerThe Government has approved the provision of significantly expanded summer education programmes for pupils with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage, as a COVID-19 pandemic response measure, for summer 2021.
This is an incredibly important Government decision, which ensures that for first time all primary and post primary schools have given the opportunity to provide summer programmes for students with complex needs and those at risk of educational disadvantage.
In 2020 the summer programme cost €18.8m, and the school-based programme made up €6.5m of this amount.
Increasing the cost of the programme by 5%, 10% and 25% of this figure would have brought this figure to €6.825m, €7.15m and €8.125m respectively.
However, it is important to note that the total funding that has been made available to provide the expanded summer programme in 2021 is €40 million. This represents a one hundred per cent increase on the allocation for 2020. Details of the actual costs of running the school-based programme will be available after September 2021.
