Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 287: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if the special educational needs division of her Department offers a programme to autistic children known as the July provision; if she will outline the distinctions between the way this scheme works for schools and for parents who opt to hire a teacher directly; if there have been any changes to the payment of this provision which will result in a delay of the payment until November 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28893/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The July Education Programme is available to all special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism who choose to extend their education services through the month of July. My Department also provides for a July Programme for pupils with a severe/profound general learning disability. Where school based provision is not feasible, home based provision may be grant aided in which cases the parents have to source and fund a qualified teacher to undertake the tuition. The cost of home based tuition is then reimbursed to the parents by my Department.

There has been a steady increase in the number of schools offering the programme since its introduction. In 2010, the common pay date has been changed from 30 September, as in 2009, to 11 November. This decision was made after consideration of available staffing resources within my Department.