Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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152. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide clarification regarding a home tuition scheme matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21097/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Where parents of children who are eligible for Home Tuition under the terms of the scheme seek access to alternative arrangements such as those which are the subject of this question, and where such services are available to the parents and eligible children, my Department has responded and will continue to respond to such requests with consideration and sympathy and with whatever flexibility can be applied.

In the case of the private provider to which the Deputy has referred, my officials approved arrangements which were sought by parents of eligible children. As this arrangement was approved outside of the general terms of the scheme it was not advertised.

Under the terms of the Home Tuition scheme, home tuition is terminated in respect of a child for whom a school placement has been identified. The private providers which are currently the subject of parent requested arrangements all facilitate the take up of identified placements in state funded schools.

In relation to the Charitable organisation to which the Deputy also refers, it was clear to this Department that this organisation had no plans to facilitate the take up of school placements when such had been identified by the NCSE. This position was confirmed by this organisation in a comprehensive submission in 2011, in which it was made clear under section 9(b) that the placement of the child in this organisation would replace the State funded placement until after the child reached 6 years. The correspondent in this matter has been informed directly that my Department could not agree to this proposal and has not agreed to such a proposal with any other private provider.

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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153. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide clarification regarding the operation of the home tuition scheme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21098/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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As I have previously advised the House in January of this year, the context of the correspondence referred to by the Deputy is significant in clarifying this issue.

The letter was in response to a submission from a private service provider outlining their intention to submit claim forms for funding for four children who were approved for home tuition to assist in their timely processing and payment. The letter added that applications for three children not approved for home tuition were to be submitted subsequently.

Therefore the approach in my official's response was to advise that new applications for home tuition were to be processed in line with the relevant circular and outlined the general conditions for payment which were at that time compatible with arrangements in place for the aforementioned four children for whom tuition had been provided.