Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 493: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if payments to parents sending their children to privately run schools for special needs including autism are to be withdrawn; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31481/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am not aware of the scheme referred to by the Deputy.

However the home tuition scheme which is administered by my Department 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 including pre-school children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

My Department considers that school-based education provision is the most appropriate intervention for all children including those with special educational needs and has discontinued the practice whereby children who are in full-time education provision would also be able to avail of home tuition grants.

The children for whom the service has been discontinued are enrolled in special schools or special class placements or are attending mainstream schools with additional resource teaching and special needs assistant supports, as appropriate.