Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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54. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children being home educated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4498/16]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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55. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the review of the guidelines on home school tuition, including the next steps he will take in furthering the review; when it will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4499/16]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 55 together.

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency under the remit of my Department, has a statutory obligation under Section 14 (1) of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, to maintain a register of children being educated in a place other than a recognised school. This requirement exists in order to safeguard a child's constitutional and legal right to a certain minimum education.

The legislation states that where a parent chooses to educate his or her child in a place other than a recognised school he or she shall apply to the Agency to have the child placed on the register. This includes children whose parent chooses to educate them at home. I am advised by the Agency that 1,111 children were included on this register on 29 January 2016.

Following receipt of an application by a parent to have their child placed on the register, the Agency arranges for a preliminary assessment, and if necessary a further comprehensive assessment to be undertaken, to determine whether the child is in receipt of a certain minimum education. Assessments are carried out by authorised persons appointed by the Agency. When the Agency is satisfied that the child concerned is receiving a certain minimum education, the child is placed on the register.

Under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, the Minister for Education and Skills has a function to issue guidelines for the purposes of determining whether a child is receiving a certain minimum education. These guidelines were issued by the Minister for Education and Skills in 2003. In relation to the review referred to in the Deputy's question, I am advised that the Agency has initiated a consultation on the arrangements involved in carrying out the assessment process to determine whether a child is in receipt of a certain minimum education and how the Agency engages with families who are home schooling. The purpose is to inform the Agency's deliberations in relation to its delivery of services. The consultation commenced in November 2015 and has now concluded. It included on-line consultations and workshops with home schooling families and private schools and others. I am advised that the Agency plans to publish the outcome of the consultations in the coming months.