Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 299: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the criteria which his Department uses for deciding whether home tuition will be made available to children in the autistic spectrum in the pre-school years; and if provision will be made for home tuition in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9. [4783/04]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has no record of having received an application for home tuition for the person referred to by the Deputy. I wish to advise the Deputy that the primary responsibility for service provision for pre-school age children rests with the appropriate health authority. However, my Department has established eight pre-school classes for children with autism, four in Dublin and four in Cork. In addition, my Department may sanction home tuition grants for children with autism who are of pre-school age and for whom a home educational programme is considered appropriate. Similar provision is made for children of school-going age who are awaiting an appropriate educational placement.

Last July, I published the Education for Persons with Disabilities Bill 2003. This Bill, when enacted, will provide a clear and enforceable statement in law of the rights of children from birth to 18 years who, because of disabilities, including autism, have special educational needs. Provision will be made in the Bill for a statutory structure which will guarantee the educational rights of these children, and also for a formal appeals mechanism. My objective is to secure the passage of this legislation through the Oireachtas as quickly as possible.