To ask the Minister of Health to detail the amount it would cost to provide adequate nursing provision for special school summer schemes this year.

Recognising the importance of these Summer Schemes to the children attending them and their families, I have tasked the Chief Nursing Officer to work with the nursing leaders across our five regional HSC Trusts to develop plans to meet the Education Authority’s request for the presence of a registered nurse at each SEN school summer scheme in 2026.

Whilst this will be extremely challenging, my Department is committed to making every effort to source the identified additional nursing cover, involving appropriate staff with the right skills and knowledge including the appropriate children’s safeguarding training.

Until the plan is completed, however, it is not possible to estimate the cost of implementing it.