Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 450: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if, in view of her very positive response to Parliamentary Question No. 413 of 11 March 2008 on the issue of her Department underpaying the home tuition grant to parents of children taught by qualified teachers at the ELI schools in Dublin, Wicklow and Galway, she will confirm that her Department's special education section staff are still requesting a signature of the teachers concerned before a full repayment to the parents in such cases; if, in view of the near impossibility of obtaining the signatures of the teachers in question, some of whom may well be out of the jurisdiction, she will instruct her staff to take a sensible and fair approach to this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13982/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that the home tuition scheme 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.

Home tuition grants are paid to the parents, who in turn make payment to the home tuition provider. Following the introduction of an increased rate of pay to suitably qualified home tuition providers, arrears payments are due to some tuition providers. It is envisaged that the process employed in making the original home tuition payments will be used in calculating the arrears. Before arrears payments are made, my Department needs to be satisfied that there is acknowledgement between the tuition provider and the parents that arrears payments are due.