Brendan Daly (Fianna Fail)

I thank the Cathaoirleach for giving me the opportunity to raise this important issue and I thank the Minister of State, Deputy de Valera, for coming to the Seanad to reply to my concerns. The Minister will be aware that a number of families are entitled to home tuition for children with special needs. This is an important service in the sense that it is an early intervention which is so important when dealing with the problems of children with autism and other conditions. It is also important, from the point of view of communication and integration, for the children to have this home tuition.

It was with dismay that the parents learned that the Department has decided to curtail the home tuition service which has been in operation for a number of years. Home tuition is provided in cases where there is no ongoing in-house education available in a primary school or the like. Concern was also expressed by many parents that psychological, speech therapy or occupational therapy services, to which many of these children are entitled, are not available in some regional areas. In the western area, the Department of Education and Science has decided to put in place special classes in Kilrush National School to deal with these children. That has not been completed, however, and because of the difficulties in finding psychological and speech therapy services in rural areas, the home tuition has become even more important.

Parents are concerned about this and have raised it locally in west Clare and nationally. I hope the Minister of State will be able to continue the service as currently operated. In some cases it is only for two hours a day and the parents have expressed to me their strong desire to continue with it because the tuition in the home is more important than what might be available in the organised school environment. It is critical that this service continues and that funding is providing to allow home tuition to continue for the foreseeable future.