David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 504: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of home tuition grants applied for and approved and drawn each year since 2000 to date in 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32638/06]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 505: To ask the Minister for Education and Science further to the review being carried out into the home tuition grant scheme, the persons carrying out this review; when she expects the review to be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32639/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 504 and 505 together.

I wish to advise the Deputy that the information regarding the number of home tuition grants applied for and approved and drawn each year since 2000 to date in 2006 is not readily available in my Department. However I can confirm that officials in my Department has recently revised procedures to ensure that this information will be readily available in future.

The home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a variety of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for pupils awaiting a suitable educational placement.

As the tuition takes place outside of the school supervision, the Deputy will appreciate the need to ensure that tuition providers are appropriately qualified to give education to the children concerned. The usual requirement is a fully qualified teacher. However other qualifications are acceptable depending on the individual needs of the child. In this context a review of qualifications is underway in consultation with my Department's inspectorate.

Nominated tuition providers with qualifications other than teaching qualifications have been accepted for the first school term this year to allow time to establish the suitability of the range of qualifications submitted. As the process progresses the parents concerned will be informed of the decision which will result in approval for subsequent terms of the nominated tuition provider or direction to recruit a tuition provider with suitable qualifications. It is important to stress that the allocation of tuition hours under the scheme is not at issue in the context of the review of qualifications in this regard.