Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I wish to share time with Deputy Stanton.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Very good.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

For almost a month the country has been rightly convulsed following the publication of the report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse.

I have never at any time in my life heard so many guarantees that from now on we will treat all of the children of our nation equally, that we will respect them and that what happened will never happen again, and rightly so. However, those words ring very hollow when one considers what will happen in this country from September next.

Since January 2007 the Department of Education and Science has laid down four criteria in regard to eligibility for the home education grant. Home education grants are given to the parents of preschool children who are in need of education to ready them for primary school, usually children two and a half to five years old, most of whom are autistic and must be taught how to learn. They are children who, for instance, need to be taught how to manage their behaviour, communication skills — most of them are non-verbal — self management and social and play skills, all of which we, who do not have such difficulties, take for granted. They must be taught toileting and hygiene skills, cognitive and sensory skills, all of which must be learned to ensure when they go to primary school they are capable of integrating into mainstream education.

Under the new criteria for home tuition grants, which will change from September next, parents will have to seek a qualified teacher to teach their child. A qualified teacher in this respect means a primary or secondary teacher, people with H.dip qualifications who do not have the skill sets to teach these children. If they do, why then do primary schools continue to seek the assistance of organisations dealing with children with autism? Primary school teachers do not have the required skill sets to teach these children. We have been through all of this before. That argument was made a long time ago when the new criteria was introduced and is being made again now. I believe that the reason for this change is the Minister's desire to have more qualified teachers employed in this area. I ask the unions not to co-operate with this. These teachers are not the people we need to prepare these children for mainstream primary education.

If the words we have been hearing for the past month in regard to the children of our nation are to mean anything, surely the parents who have fought long and hard for these limited rights for their children should continue to receive them.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank Deputy Lynch for allowing me to support the case she is making here this evening. I believe this decision was made centrally. The impact of this decision will be that tutors, who in some cases have up to eight or nine years' experience dealing with children with special needs and autism, who have studied and gained qualifications in early childhood studies and working with children with ABA but who do not have a B.Ed or primary education certification will be told their training and experience is no longer relevant in this area. They are to be told that from September next they will not be allowed to carry on the work they have been doing.

I ask the Minister to reconsider this decision. It is important these people, who have training and experience in this area, are allowed to carry on the work they have been doing. The parents want them to continue with their work and are happy with them. As Deputy Lynch stated, primary school teachers are also happy to receive these children into primary school at the age of 5 or 6 years having gone through this early preschool special education system with people who are trained, experienced and passionate about what they are doing.

The Minister is saying that only a person with a qualification as a primary teacher can do this work. I contend that is not possible. It is false, dangerous and damaging to these children. I ask the Minister to reconsider this decision.

Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe.

I thank the Deputies for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to clarify the position in relation to the criteria for eligibility under the terms of the home tuition scheme. In particular, I wish to clarify that no changes have been made to the criteria for eligibility for home tuition.

As the Deputies will be aware, 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 to provide early educational intervention for preschool children with autism.

Home tuition is available for children who cannot attend school or are absent for a significant proportion of the school year and where the degree of absence is such that without supplemental instruction the pupil is unlikely to be able to perform academically at the level appropriate to his-her level of ability. Eligibility in this regard is determined by reference to a completed medical report from a relevant professional and attendance records supplied by the school in which the pupil is enrolled.

Home tuition is also available for children with special educational needs awaiting an appropriate educational placement, as an interim measure and for children aged——

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Surely there must be some indication in the reply of what the debate is about.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

There is none.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

There is none at all. I have heard Ministers ramble a little but nothing in the reply relates to the question asked. Surely, the Minister——

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Minister of State is entitled to give whatever response he determines appropriate.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

——for shame sake——

Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Home tuition is also available for children with special educational needs awaiting an appropriate education placement as an interim measure and for children aged two and a half to five years who have been assessed under the Disability Act by the HSE as having autistic spectrum disorder, thus requiring early educational intervention. Eligibility for home tuition is determined in consultation with the National Council for Special Education which must confirm that there is no educational placement available.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputies whom I thank once again for raising the matter.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Minister of State knows the reply does not clarify the matter.