Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2026
356. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason sanction approvals for the 2026 Home-Based Summer Programme have not yet issued to participating families; the number of applications received to date; when sanction emails will issue to parents and guardians; and the measures being taken to ensure that children do not lose access to tutors or programme hours as a result of delays in the approval process. [47390/26]
View answerDetails 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.
On making an application for the home-based programme, both schools and parents received acknowledgement emails which outlined that decisions regarding a student's placement on the programme would be communicated after the school-based applications had been reviewed. Department officials have confirmed that sanction letters for the home-based programme commenced issuing on the 18th June 2026.
Full details of the Home-based programme, including details on how to source a tutor were issued to schools directly on the 6th May 2026 and has been published on www.gov.ie/summerprogramme.
Final participation figures for the 2026 Summer Programme will only be available after all claims have been submitted and processed.
