Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 433: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties many parents face in securing a qualified teacher to work with their child in the home during the summer months under the special education scheme; that most parents can only secure a student teacher; and if her further attentions has been drawn to the necessity for the teacher to be familiar or known to the child (details supplied) in Co. Cork. [18877/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides funding to schools with special classes for pupils with a Severe or Profound General Learning Disabilities and classes for pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorders to enable them to provide a July Educational Programme. Where schools are unable to put such a programme in place, then parents may apply to the Department for funding to put a home tuition programme in place for July.

As this tuition takes place in the home, outside of a school structure, the most basic requirement is to ensure that the tuition provider is suitably qualified to provide the optimum intervention. My Department's qualification preference is for a fully qualified teacher. Where parents cannot recruit a fully qualified teacher, then certain alternative qualifications are acceptable and details in this regard are published on my Department's web site. Conscious that some parents occasionally encounter difficulties in securing the services of a qualified tuition provider, my Department will be considering, in line with the Programme for Government commitment, how best to provide a central database of suitably trained personnel seeking employment as home tutors.

The school in question is not participating in the school based programme this year and I have arranged for an application form for home based support to issue to the parents of the child in question.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 434: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will arrange to have payment issued in respect of a special home tutor approved for a child (details supplied) in Dublin 11; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18889/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Seven hours per week home tuition were sanctioned for the pupil in question from 5th March 2007 to the end of May 2007.

I can confirm for the Deputy that payment in respect of the home tuition grant for the months of March, April and May 2007 issued from my Department on 29th June 2007.