Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 413: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason an application for home tuition for a person (details supplied) in County Laois has not yet been sanctioned; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this person is autistic, has a learning disability and is also an elective mute; if an application was received over six months ago in her Department; when she anticipates that the application will proceed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12992/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The home tuition scheme is primarily intended to provide compensatory instruction for pupils who have a medical ailment that is likely to cause major disruption of their attendance at school. My Department continues to provide home tuition grants to pupils who cannot attend school at all, or are absent for a significant proportion of the school year.

An application for home tuition for the pupil concerned was received in my Department in May 2004. At the time of application, the pupil was enrolled in a mainstream primary school and was not in receipt of any supplementary teaching support. However, I understand from my officials that the pupil has since been sanctioned five hours of resource teacher support and has also been sanctioned a full time special needs assistant.

My officials are currently undertaking a review of the home tuition scheme. Guidelines for the operation of a home tuition scheme will be drawn up following this process. A communication issued to the parents advising them of this review on 6 April 2005. A decision on the application for home tuition will be conveyed to the parents following the review process.