Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise a simple but urgent matter. The matter I raise affects only one child and one family but it does so in a most profound way. I do not often seek to raise a matter on the Adjournment and while I welcome the Minister of State with responsibility for trade, it is disquieting that the only Adjournment matter which will not be responded to by the line Minister concerns autism and the fundamental needs of a child and a family. That speaks volumes. Autism is one of the most profoundly troubling issues facing families across the country and creates enormous and relentless difficulties. It behoves us as a society to give every possible support to families who want to engage with autistic children and provide them with the best possible start because evidence has shown the importance of giving them the right support at the earliest stage of their lives.

I will not mention the name of the family whom I wish to highlight. They found a suitable home tutor for their child in September 2005. The tutor was sourced with the help of the Cottage Autism Network in Wexford, an extremely reputable and well-respected network supporting families with autistic children. The tutor in question also assists other children.

It is obvious that time is required for autistic children to get used to a tutor. The family is absolutely satisfied with the child's tutor and the remarkable and real progress the child has made since September 2005. The mother of the child wrote a letter to me to say her child had made huge progress since she started with the tutor. Previously she had suffered from many behavioural problems but, with the right treatment, they had disappeared. The tutor was helping her to label everything, which had allowed the child to ask for food, a great relief for the family.

The tutor showed the mother how to teach her daughter. While it took a long time to trust somebody coming into her home to get to know her child, remarkable progress was being made until the Department of Education and Science intervened. Sanction was given to keep the tutor only until 27 July 2007, the problem being the tutor's qualifications. The Department has determined that the tutor's qualifications do not tick the boxes it requires. The Department has no regard for the real progress the child is making and for the bond that has taken some time to establish. It said it would continue to fund a tutor but that the family must find someone else.

I have the testimonials and qualifications for the tutor in question, from eminent psychologists and experts in child intervention and learning processes and programmes. Such people know the work of the tutor in question and assert the tutor's merit and value. Apparently this is insufficient for the Department of Education and Science. The parents have been told to find somebody else by 27 July. They have no knowledge even of how to access somebody else and they have absolutely no wish to do so. They want their child to continue to progress, to use the bond with an existing tutor who is well regarded within the autistic community, is well-qualified and is doing the job.

I appeal to the Minister of State to pass on the details of the case to the Minister for Education and Science and her Department. I had hoped she or one of her Ministers of State might have been present for this debate. The Department should relent and consider the substance of this case. It should allow this practical solution to continue, so real help can continue to be given to this real child and real family.

Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to clarify the position of the Department of Education and Science on the qualifications of home tuition providers under the home tuition scheme.

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 Deputy 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 but 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 the Department's inspectorate, an extended list of qualifications acceptable under the scheme for children with autism was published. This list is available on the Department of Education and Science 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. The tutor referred to by the Deputy is not a qualified teacher and does not have a qualification acceptable under the scheme.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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So there is no flexibility.

Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Therefore the parent of the pupil concerned was advised of the need to recruit a tuition provider with suitable qualifications.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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From where?

Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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I will take the Deputy's concerns to the Minister.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Please do.

Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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However, in order to accommodate difficulties anticipated in sourcing a qualified tuition provider, an extension of sanction with the current tutor was given until the end of this school year. It is in the interests of children that home tutors funded under this scheme be appropriately qualified tuition providers. It is for this reason tuition providers will be required to meet the minimum qualification standard for the 2007-08 school year.

I thank the Deputy again for giving me the opportunity to clarify the position of the Department of Education and Science. I will consider the points he has made and raise them with the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin.