Plans for children with special needs to attend camps this summer have been plunged into controversy and uncertainty -- three weeks after Ministers gave their assurances that the camps will go ahead.

And confusion over the programme has led one paraprofessional to brand Education Minister Milton Scott as "disrespectful''.

Last month The Royal Gazette revealed that the special needs camps could be scrapped following a mix-up between the Ministry of Youth and Sport, which normally organises the mainstream camps, and the Ministry of Education which hires and pays for paraprofessionals to supervise special needs children attending camp.

At the time of the controversy, Youth and Sports Minister Dennis Lister assured parents that special needs children will be catered for this year.

But when one parent went to register her special needs child last week, she was told not to hand over the $25 fee because the programme could still be scrapped.

When a paraprofessional contacted the Department of Education to see if she could work during the summer she was asked if she would take a substantial pay cut. And she claims she was also repeatedly passed from one Ministry to the other.

When Mr. Lister and Sen. Scott were quizzed about the mix-up yesterday, the Ministers contradicted each other.

Yesterday morning Sen. Scott said the Ministry of Youth and Sport was handling the whole issue, including the recruitment of paraprofessionals.

"This really is a non-story,'' he said.

"I would urge all paraprofessionals to go to the Ministry of Youth and Sport if they want a job. Dennis Lister is the one who should be speaking on this -- Education is not the Ministry responsible for it.'' But Mr. Lister later said his department was forwarding the names of all special needs children to the Department of Education, which would then be responsible for hiring supervisors.'' But Mr. Lister refused to be drawn on which Ministry would be footing the bill -- thought to be in the region of $100,000 -- for special needs cover.

And when told of Sen. Scott's earlier comments, Mr. Lister announced that he had an urgent engagement and could not answer any further questions.

The Royal Gazette then contacted Sen. Scott for a second time to clarify the issue.

But the Education Minister refused to comment on the apparent confusion and contradiction between the two departments.

Sen. Scott was repeatedly asked -- and repeatedly failed -- to confirm Mr.

Lister's claim that paraprofessional recruitment was the responsibility of the Department of Education.

He also failed to specify which Ministry would finance the project.

The Minister also claimed that, with the camps due to start in less than three weeks, there was still plenty of time for children to register and professionals to be hired.

"Government has made a commitment to have children with special needs in the camps and paraprofessionals will be employed,'' he said. "Money will come from the Consolidated Fund.'' Last night one paraprofessional, who does not wish to be named, accused Sen.

Scott of being disrespectful.

"We need to know what's happening,'' she said. "If this thing doesn't go ahead, it's not going to look good on Mr. Scott.'' Shadow Health and Social Services Minister Kim Young also blasted the two Ministers for being insensitive.

"This is very confusing both for the paraprofessionals and, more importantly, the parents and children,'' she said.