Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address an issue regarding the home tuition scheme raised in correspondence (details supplied). [47885/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The issues in the correspondence supplied by the Deputy appear to focus on the qualifications of home tutors in general with specific reference to teaching children with autism.

The Deputy will be aware that the purpose of the Home Tuition Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service 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 also to provide early educational intervention for pre-school children with autism.

As home tuition takes place outside the school environment my Department's preference is that the tuition provider be a qualified teacher who is registered with the Teaching Council. Where this is not possible approval may be given for a tutor with alternative qualifications to undertake the tuition and these details are available on my Department's website. In such scenarios approval for nominated tutors is made on a temporary basis pending a qualified teacher being sourced.

The qualification standard required by the home tuition scheme reflects that required in a school environment. Class teachers in schools are required to be fully-qualified with a qualification relevant to the sector in which they are teaching. All primary teachers are qualified to teach in any primary or special school/classroom. All initial teacher education (ITE) programmes would have regard to inclusion in their content - it's a theme that is integrated throughout course programmes. However, the level of content would vary between different providers. There would also be options for students to pursue additional study in the area of special education on an elective basis.

Recently, and for the first time, the Teaching Council's criteria for ITE providers stipulate mandatory elements of study, including special education. The learning outcomes of these ITE programmes also reflect the need for the teacher to be able to provide for the holistic development of students, to implement a range of teaching methodologies suitable to the students/class, to apply knowledge of the individual potential of students, their disposition towards learning and their backgrounds, identities and learning styles to their teaching, to evaluate learner progress, to act as an advocate for students, referring students for educational support and participating in the provision of that support, amongst other relevant outcomes.

Separately teachers have access through the Special Education Support Service to continuing professional development in a range of autism-specific interventions, including Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA), the Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) and the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS).