Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 94: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if autistic children in receipt of Department funded home tuition will have to discontinue home tuition from their current provider in order to employ a Department recognised trained primary school teacher from September 2007; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4759/07]

Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 96: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will retain some flexibility in the qualifications criteria for persons who provide home tuition for children with special needs, especially those on the autistic spectrum, and where parents are satisfied with the current provider of the service and have difficulty in finding a suitably qualified alternative; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5095/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 94 and 96 together.

The home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement and also to provide early educational intervention for pre-school children with autism.

The Deputies will appreciate that, as home tuition takes place outside of the normal school framework, there is need to ensure that tuition providers are appropriately qualified to give education to the children concerned. The usual requirement is for a fully qualified teacher.

A recent review of a number of applications for home tuition highlighted some cause for concern regarding the qualifications of proposed tuition providers. The review determined that most of the nominated tuition providers were suitably qualified. However, over 130 had less than satisfactory qualifications. For example, some did not have a leaving certificate level of education while others had no post-school qualifications.

Parents and guardians who had nominated tuition providers with qualifications other than teaching qualifications were advised that these tuition providers were being accepted for the first school term, from September to December 2006, to allow time to undertake the review.

Following the review of qualifications, which took place in consultation with my Department's inspectorate, an extended list of qualifications acceptable under the scheme for children with autism has been published. This list is available on my Department's website.

Aside from recognised teaching qualifications such as the Bachelor in Education and approved Montessori training, the list includes certain qualifications in autism and in applied approaches to teaching children with autism, such as ABA, PECS and TEACCH. Third level qualifications in relevant areas such as psychology may also be appropriate depending on circumstances.

As necessary, my Department wrote to the parents and guardians concerned to advise the outcome of the review. Where the tuition providers' qualifications did not meet the minimum requirements, parents were advised of the need to recruit a tuition provider with suitable qualifications. However, to accommodate those who were experiencing difficulties in changing to a qualified tuition provider, they have been given until the end of the current school year to do so.

It is in the interests of children to expect that home tutors funded under this scheme are appropriately qualified tuition providers. It is for this reason that tuition providers will be required to meet the minimum qualification standard for the 2007-08 school year.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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In the recent review 130 were found to be less than satisfactory. In the review of the extended list, how many fell foul of the requirements? On the question of providing education through the ABA system, I understand 12 schools are awaiting approval from the Department. When does the Minister intend to make a decision in respect of those schools? What are her views on the delivery of education through the ABA structure for children with autism and does she believe it is a good method of delivering education? Certainly the experience of parents has been extremely positive. I have been approached by many parents in parts of the country where it is not available who have asked if it could be rolled out in those areas. Does the Minister intend to facilitate that request?

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Following the review, I am not aware of the individual number of tutors who would qualify. That is the reason parents have been given until the end of this school year to find somebody appropriate. The range of people acceptable is quite broad. Hopefully, those parents will be able to get somebody suitable.

In regard to the education of children with autism, significant advances have been made in the provision of special classes and the mainstreaming of children, where appropriate, in our schools. There are 181 special classes for children with autism, 16 early intervention classes, five special classes for children on the Aspergers spectrum and 12 special ABA schools as part of the pilot project. Of those, 20 have been funded in the past year. Before Christmas we offered incentives to administrative principals of schools who would be willing to take on an autistic unit within their schools. I do not know if the Deputy has visited any of the schools which are custom built. The two classroom units are very attractive. The staffing complement is generous in that there is one teacher for six children with at least one special needs assistant and, if necessary, there can be a special needs assistant per child. That structure is working well. That system is the preferred approach of the Department. It has the advantage of enabling those children to be in a special unit that is attached to a school where their siblings may be and where they are with their peers. There are qualified teachers who use a range of different methodologies. We do not accept that any one exclusive intervention is appropriate for all students. This is something that is supported by the autism task force which recognises the need for a range of resources and approaches to meet the unique needs of children on the autistic spectrum. We are developing special classes attached to the schools. It is a priority to encourage more schools to take them on as this structure offers the greatest opportunity for children to have their individuals needs met rather than using one particular type of method.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate the Minister has said there is a need for different types of structures but there are parents who believe the ABA structure is best for their children. In light of that does the Minister plan to give approval to the schools awaiting such approval and to allow this system to grow? That the Minister referred to the autism task force report is welcome as it is the first time we have heard anything about it for some time.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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It is our intention to extend a system throughout the country which meets the needs of children but it is not our intention to run parallel systems. Parents of children in mainstream schools also express great satisfaction and particularly parents of children in autistic units. Obviously we have to ensure the needs of individual children are met. Teachers are being trained in PECS, TEACCH and ABA. We have had some good discussions with the autism groups which I met recently. They are meeting with officials of my Department to see how we can work in conjunction with them, knowing they have the best interests of their children at heart. I accept it is extremely difficult for parents of children with autism. This places a considerable amount of individual and personal pressures on them, which is why I am particularly anxious to ensure we can roll out an even greater service than that which is currently available.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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I know the Minister is aware that it is very traumatic for parents who have found a system they feel works for their children to feel this system will be pulled from under them. For example, a parent could be using home tuition grants for ABA. I realise the Minister has produced a list which is relatively broad and flexible. However, there are situations where a person may not have the right ABA or picture exchange communication system, PECS, training that fits on the Minister's list.

Can the Minister tell me if there is any grace or space whereby somebody who has possibly been working with a child for a number of years but needs to be trained can be given the time and space to get whatever the relevant qualification might be? For those parents, it is very traumatic to think they might have to terminate the thing that is working for them.

I reiterate Deputy Enright's question about the applications that are already in, which the Minister did not really answer. An application has been made by the Bluebell ABA school in my constituency, which is carrying out fabulous work but which is in danger of closing if it does not get an answer soon. The people who have set up these ABA schools using the home tuition grant to fund them need an answer as quickly as possible.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The home tuition grant is, after all, an education tuition grant so we feel quite strongly that it is important the people delivering this service are appropriately qualified. This is why, following consultation with people, it was said to be fairly broad in respect of qualifications. It would not be possible to start taking on people just because families were used to them, difficult though that may be. In the best interests of the education of the child, it is important that they have some form of formal training or qualification.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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What if they were willing to do a correspondence course?

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am not even sure if a correspondence course would be acceptable. It sets out that it must be an official certificate or diploma course ratified by a university, college or organisation. A short course or certificate is not acceptable.

We should remember that the home tuition scheme has been working for many years and people have had no difficulty in getting locally based people who are qualified. I do not envisage that parents should have any difficulty in respect of it. It is my aim to ensure the needs of children on the autistic spectrum throughout the country are met as far as possible within the mainstream school.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Does the Minister differentiate between children who are chronically ill and those who are receiving the home tuition grant because they are not able to find suitable school accommodation? The Educate Together school in Celbridge contains two units which have been lying vacant for the past three years. This school is in the constituency with the highest pupil-teacher ratio so there is no shortage of children. When are these units likely to open because they would help parents who are seeking home tuition and I am certain there would be sufficient children to fill that school, which contains 12 very precious places?

The Minister said parents do not have problems locating teachers, but I hear another side of this story and I am sure other Deputies do as well. I hear that parents are very concerned about sourcing a teacher. They do not feel qualified to source a teacher themselves and the Department needs to have a proper database which would provide assistance in doing this. Does the Minister agree?

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister spoke about appropriately and suitable qualified teachers but many parents think the teacher they have is appropriate and suitable. Does she not accept that this directive may, in turn, put added pressure on these parents? I accept that it is probably coming from the background. A Department of Education and Science inspector's report spoke about how 70% of teachers working with children have no autism-specific training. Does she not accept that this new directive will put far more pressure on parents and that there is concern that children, rather than these teachers, will lose out?

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In respect of the autism units which are attached to mainstream schools, the ratio is six children to one teacher and two special needs assistants. This is exactly what is on offer to the Educate Together school in Celbridge. I share the Deputy's annoyance as to why a purpose-built unit for children with autism in this school has not been opened, but the fault does not rest with the Department. It is crucially important that the school opens this facility because the Deputy is right in saying there are children who would be able to benefit from it.