Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 285: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on the impending closure of a pre-school (details supplied) in County Meath which currently caters for four children with autism; the reason for the decision by her Department to withdraw home tuition from the children attending this pre-school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10667/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Home tuition has not been withdrawn from the four children to whom he refers. The home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to facilitate the provision of 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 and early education intervention for pre-school children with autism. As this tuition takes place outside of a school structure, the Deputy will appreciate the importance of ensuring the tuition provider is suitably qualified to provide the optimum intervention.

A review in 2006 of a number of applications for home tuition highlighted some cause for concern regarding the qualifications of proposed tuition providers. Following the review of qualifications, which took place in consultation with my Department's inspectorate, an extended list of qualifications acceptable under the scheme has been published. This list is available on my Department's website. Aside from recognised teaching qualifications such as the Bachelor in Education and approved Montessori training, the list includes certain qualifications in autism and in applied approaches to teaching children with autism, such as ABA, PECS and TEACCH. Third level qualifications in relevant areas such as psychology may also be appropriate depending on circumstances.

I wish to advise the Deputy that as the pre-school to which he refers is a privately run facility, it is not within the remit of my Department. Therefore, I am not in a position to comment on the closure of the facility.