Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 September 2026
401. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department would consider a dedicated activity and inclusion grant for special classes participating in the Summer Programme, based on the additional costs associated with providing suitable activities, outings and community-based experiences. [68539/26]
View answerThe Summer Programme is an educational programme for children with complex special educational needs which is run during the summer months. All primary, post primary and special schools are given an opportunity to run a programme for those children who need it the most. These children can continue to be supported, nurtured and encouraged to engage in a fun and inclusive educational setting.
In response to the Deputy’s question regarding the consideration of a dedicated activity and inclusion grant for special classes participating in the Summer Programme, the programme already provides enhanced capitation funding. For participating mainstream schools, this amounts to €30 per child per week and for participating special schools, this amounts to €60 per child per week. This rate is cognisant of all costs associated with running a summer programme and is very favourably compared to the normal capitation during the school year. The allocation and use of this capitation is at the discretion of the school and would be in addition to the other supports already provided, such as the transport grant and the provision of school meals during the programme.
In previous years, substantial funding has been secured to ensure the continuance of the annual investment in the Summer Programme, rising from €40 million in 2021 to €62 million in 2025. All of the funding is utilised to meet the associated costs and to ensure a comprehensive programme is available.
Since 2019, the Summer Programme has gone from strength to strength. In 2025, almost 2,000 individual school-based programmes were delivered with almost 71,000 children having participated in both the school and home-based programmes. This is compared with the 300 schools and 13,000 children who took part in 2019.
The main priority of the Summer Programme has always been to ensure that children with complex special educational needs have access to a school-based programme.
My department’s ultimate goal remains to ensure that every child with special educational needs continues to be supported both in school and on the Summer Programme and we will continue to look at all possible measures to achieve this.
