Summer education programmes are to be expanded with up to €40m funding being made available. A doubling of funding from €20m to €40m for the programmes for schools was announced today.
For the first time all students in special schools and those with complex needs in mainstream education will be eligible to participate.
The new programme has been drawn up as a direct response to the impact of Covid-19 on vulnerable children and their families.
Previously summer provision courses were only available to special schools and pupils in special classes. The new summer education programme will afford all schools in the State the option of hosting a summer programme, bringing the number of eligible students to over 80,000 compared to 23,000 last