Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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It is hard to believe I have to raise this issue which concerns the cutting off of home tuition grants from children with autism who are also attending school. It is hard to believe a cut such as this should take place. It is a policy decision of the Department of Education and Science to cut these home tuition grants and one that should be reversed without delay. We are talking about approximately 100 children in various parts of the country who are autistic, attend school full-time and who, until a few days ago, were in receipt of a home tuition grant, the cost of which was approximately €1 million. The saving to the Exchequer from cutting the support services from these 100 children is €1 million. These children with autism who attend school were able to get four or five hours' evening tuition at home that mattered a great deal in augmenting the work being done at school.

In one case I am aware of, the child is in a class of 29 children. The other 28 children in her class do not experience the difficulties she has as a child with autism and they do not need the extra tuition at home. This support which was helping her to keep up and remain in mainstream education has been cut off. Her parents say she is regressing and will regress further.

It is inconceivable that such a mean cut could have been implemented on such a vulnerable group. These are children who can manage to stay in mainstream education if they have home tuition but without which it is not possible. In many cases they are trying to set up their own schools under the applied behavioural analysis system which is costly to run but is effective because it deals with children on a one-to-one basis. The children about whom I am talking are in mainstream schools and therefore the extra cost to the State pertained only to home tuition grants and, in most cases, a special needs assistant in the school. It is inconceivable that these grants have been cut.

When I raised this issue initially, it was as a result of my being approached by one parent. Subsequently parents from various parts of the country got in touch with me. When I tabled a parliamentary question, I was told that 100 children were affected. These are among the most vulnerable children. If children with autism get appropriate intervention at an early stage, it can make an enormous difference to their chances of integrating, of being capable of being educated and of relating to others later in life. The main difficulty they face is being able to relate to people and to respond to what is happening around them. By having home tuition for their children, the parents were able to have the extra supports. These supports made a great difference, irrespective of whether they involved a teacher giving home tuition to the children for a couple of hours in the evenings or some other kind of technological support.

The parents told me they were told to go to the special educational needs organiser to determine what could be done. Special educational needs organisers have been told the scheme is finished. When the parents rang the Department of Education and Science they were told to contact the special education council, which was effectively implementing a departmental decision to end the grants. With the stroke of a pen in Marlborough Street, or wherever the decision was made, the children of the parents lost the support that was making a great difference to their lives. It also made a great difference to their families because it is not easy to be the parent of an autistic child. It is particularly difficult considering that one of the small supports that was available was withdrawn.

The Minister of State, Deputy O'Malley, may not have direct responsibility for this issue as it is the responsibility of the Minister for Education and Science, but I urge him to raise it with her and ensure that proper consideration be given to the effect of the decision. I intend to raise this issue again with the Minister for Education and Science by way of parliamentary question. I do not intend to let the issue go until it is properly considered and examined within the Department.

The decision to cut the grants was mean. A sum of €1 million is miserly in the context of the millions of euro we hear are being wasted every day of the week. The weakest of children are affected by the decision and I am appalled that it could have been made by a Minister who gets such good press, to the effect that she is a wonderful Minister. I hope she will see sense and reverse the decision.

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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I am pleased to be afforded the opportunity by the Deputy to clarify the position of the Department of Education and Science on home tuition grants for pupils with autism who are attending school. The home tuition scheme is primarily intended to provide compensatory instruction for pupils who have a medical ailment that is likely to cause major disruption to their attendance at school. In this context, the Department of Education and Science provides home tuition grants in respect of pupils who cannot attend school or who are absent for a significant proportion of the school year. Children who meet these criteria will continue to qualify for home tuition.

The cases the Deputy is talking about, however, concern children who are attending school full time. While the Department sanctions home tuition in cases where children are awaiting a suitable school placement, it is considered that school-based education provision is the most appropriate intervention for all children.

Recent years have seen a major expansion in school-based provision for children with autism. Some 159 special classes for children with autism attached to special schools and mainstream schools have been created and 15 pre-school classes for children with autism have been set up. The Department of Education and Science is funding 12 autism-specific facilities that are operating on a pilot basis.

The newly established National Council for Special Education, including its team of 71 special educational needs organisers, is working across the country to ensure that new services are put in place where needed so autistic children can have access to appropriate school-based provision. With this substantial improvement in school-based services for autistic children, it is no longer considered necessary to give home tuition grants to children who are in full-time educational provision.

There are approximately 100 children with autism in full-time educational placements and they have continued to receive home tuition grants. These children are enrolled in special school or special class placements or are attending mainstream schools with additional supports, as appropriate. The Department has written to these pupils' parents confirming its intention to discontinue the practice of sanctioning home tuition grants for pupils in full-time education. This has also been communicated to the pupils' schools. These cases have been referred to the local special educational needs organisers with a view to their ensuring that each child is getting the appropriate support at school. The Department sanctioned the continuance of the home tuition grant for these pupils until 10 February to allow the special educational needs organisers time to ensure that this is the case. Each pupil's individual circumstances are being considered by the special educational needs organisers and future provision will reflect their individual needs.

I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity to clarify the position.