Kathleen Funchion on expanding summer supports for students
Kathleen Funchion addressed a committee report on summer provision for pupils with special needs, urging expansion of the programme, stronger staffing and preference for school-based delivery. She asked the minister whether key recommendations could be implemented in time for summer 2023 and highlighted the multiple barriers parents face in accessing supports.
Tribute to the committee and report
Senator Micheál Carraghy and the committee received praise for producing a comprehensive report amid delays in assessment, access and therapies. Funchion welcomed the cross-party engagement that produced the recommendations.
Priority - expand the summer programme
Funchion said the primary aim should be to extend the programme to as many students as possible, noting that parents and children benefit most when provision is delivered in a school setting rather than at home. She argued that school-based provision maintains routine and reduces regression for many children.
Staffing and participation challenges
She called for creative solutions to staffing shortages, suggesting the pool of staff could extend beyond teachers and special needs assistants while still recognising their important work. Funchion also criticised some schools for refusing to engage with the programme and said there should be strict criteria and grounds for non-participation.
Timeline for summer 2023
Funchion pressed the minister on whether the key elements of the committee's recommendations could be in place for the coming summer, stressing urgency as February progresses and time runs short to prepare for summer provision.
Parents' cumulative burdens
She highlighted the cumulative battles parents face securing school places, transport and therapies - including occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy - and said reassurance about summer provision is crucial for families.
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Thanks very much. I also want to pay tribute to the Chair of the Committee, Senator Micheál Carraghy. I imagine it is the amount of issues that the Committee must be trying to deal with, given the delays in assessment and access and therapies and everything. It is great to see such a report, such a comprehensive report. It is always great when there is cross-party cooperation and engagement on the Committee. The three key areas I want to focus on are the expansion of the programme to as many students as possible. I think that is one of the key things. Anyone that does access summer provision, whether it is in a home setting, and I have to say my experience mainly with people is from a school setting, they find that it is excellent. I suppose the key thing is sometimes accessing the programme, and then if you qualify, can you find a space. I know, and it has been said by others, that the home tuition or the home support is given as if you cannot get into a school space, but I think ideally for children and for parents alike, the school setting really is the best environment because you are continuing with that routine and you are not going to see the regression. And I suppose it is just different for a lot of kids when you are at home in your own home environment. It is just, you know, school I suppose prevents a whole different environment and it is good if we can continue that. So I missed the start of your speech, apologies Minister, but I just wanted to know are any of these recommendations going to be able to be in place for this summer we are just into February now and we all know time flies and before we know it we will be into the summer of 2023 and I apologise if I missed that commitment already, but I hope that is what we will see. The second point I want to make is in relation to, and Deputy Tully touched on this, in relation to expanding out staff. I think we need to start getting a bit more creative in terms of like, you know, the amount of staff that you could possibly tap into, in terms of maybe it does not just have to be the teachers and special needs assistance, that is not to take away from the very good work that they do, but I think we need to start looking at that in terms of staffing because it clearly is an issue. And then at the time allocated I suppose for the programme, the maximum amount of time really should be given because all the studies and all the research and even just anecdotally we know from parents that children do best when they are in that routine and they are in that space. I know that a number of special schools over the years, particularly I suppose kind of during Covid as well, have had huge issues in terms of not being able to provide the programme. Sometimes staff is given for the reason for that and then, but I do think we need to kind of call out some schools' refusals for whatever reason to kind of engage in the programme and they just don't seem to want to get involved with it. And I do think that we are kind of getting to a stage, obviously you don't want a situation where you are forcing a school and that is never going to be a good situation for anybody, but I do think there needs to be really strict criteria and there needs to be really strict grounds for why you wouldn't carry out this programme because it is so beneficial. And again, I think the staffing element, the staffing piece, the recommendations from the committee really need to be taken on board, but I would like to know if it's going to be possible to have this in place or the key elements of this for this summer, because I think that's really crucial to all of this. You know, parents already are battling with so many different things. It's not just, this is one small element of it, trying to get a school place, trying to get transport to your school, trying to get occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy. They're all individual battles on the same set of parents over and over again. So, I think it's really important that we're able to secure some of these for this summer and to give that reassurance to parents. Thank you. Thank you.
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