Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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95. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 287 of 5 November 2013, the number of children with autism between the ages of two and a half and four years receiving a home tuition grant for early intervention services in the years 2011, 2012 and 2013; and the amount spent on this specific scheme in each of those years. [10082/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the following are the numbers of children between the ages of 2.5 and 4 years who are/were in receipt of a home tuition grant during the school years 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14:

2010/2011 - 422, 108 of whom turned 5 during the course of the academic year

2011/2012 - 513, 16 of whom turned 5 during the course of the academic year

2012/2013 - 641, 41 of whom turned 5 during the course of the academic year

2013/2014 to date - 382, 13 of whom have or will turn 5 during the course of the current academic year

Children aged 2.5 years and with a diagnosis are not eligible for enrolment in an early intervention class and will qualify for 10 hours tuition per week under the terms of the Home Tuition scheme should the parent wish to avail of it. The home tuition continues from their 3rd birthday if no placement in a school based autism early intervention class is available for them and the number of hours per week increased to 20.

When a child with an autism diagnosis reaches 4 years of age they may be accommodated in a number of settings. In such circumstances, a school placement can be a place in a special school which enrols children with ASD; a place in a special class for children with ASD attached to a mainstream school; a place in an early intervention class for children with ASD or a place in a mainstream class in a mainstream school with resources if necessary.

Where there is no suitable educational placement available for children with a diagnosis of autism, my Department will consider applications under the Home Tuition scheme, where the child can receive 20 hours home tuition which is funded by my Department.

In terms of the amount spent on this aspect of the scheme, such figures are not available. My Department does not maintain separate figures for this particular age cohort in the context of the overall scheme.