Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

94. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 644 and 645 of 6 October 2015, if she will explain the reference to removing the option from parents of selecting their preferred provider, when no such option existed for all parents for over four years because her Department never included details of such an option in its annually published circular, but instead her Department entered into an exclusive agreement with just one private commercial organisation while during that same period at least three other parent-led schools were forced to close, and those parents were never provided the same option afforded to the parents who attended the private commercial organisation. [35833/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy is aware, where parents of children who are eligible for home tuition have sought alternative arrangements to be put in place for the tuition, my Department responded and facilitated by putting arrangements in place with private providers, nominated by the parents, who provide group tuition to children in a class-type setting. In all cases parents had the option of having the tuition provided by a single tutor in the home or availing of the services of their nominated provider.

Payment of the home tuition grant in these cases is made directly to the service provider and is calculated on a group rate basis.

In recent times there has been stronger demand from parents/guardians of children for whom home tuition has been approved to be accommodated in this regard. From this year my Department has advised parents of the option to enter into a group arrangement with other parents of children for whom home tuition has been approved.

However parents wishing to enter into such an arrangement must notify my Department in advance for approval and providers selected by these parents must comply with the general provision of the scheme.

The Deputy's question refers to three unnamed facilities and it is unclear to which facilities this question refers. Accordingly it is not possible to respond in respect of these three facilities. However, in general, if a facility is selected by parents and this facility is unwilling to comply with the general terms of the scheme, and in particular, with the requirement that where a school placement is identified for the eligible child, the home tuition provision will cease, my Department will not approve the arrangement with the provider.