Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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129. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the early education supports available to children with autism; the reason children who are diagnosed with autism cannot avail of early education through the early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme in conjunction with one-to-one home schooling by a home tutor. [27560/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Children who are diagnosed with Autism may be enrolled in an early intervention class attached to a mainstream school from the age of three years. From the age of 4 children with Autism may be enrolled in a mainstream school either in a special class or in a mainstream class with supports including access to SNA support if appropriate and resource teaching hours.

Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range of appropriate educational interventions, delivered by fully qualified professional teachers, with the support of Special Needs Assistants and the appropriate school curriculum.

There are approximately 14,000 students with ASD in the school system:

- 63% are educated in mainstream classes

- 23% are educated in special classes in mainstream primary and post-primary schools; and

- 14% are educated in special schools

In respect of children with ASD who cannot be accommodated in mainstream education, they may be enrolled in special classes or special schools where more intensive and supportive interventions are provided.

The NCSE recently published a list of special classes for the 2016/17 school year. In total there will be 1,153 special classes available next year, which is an increase of over 100% in the number of special classes which were available in 2011, which was 548.  762 of these are for children with Autism.

The NCSE has advised that for the current school year there will be 127 early intervention classes, 525 primary ASD classes and 237 post-primary ASD classes, which represents an increase of approx. 16% on 2015/16 classes for children with autism.

In respect of children of preschool age, parents may choose to have their child attend a preschool setting funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs under the ECCE scheme. For further information on this, please contact Minister Zappone, T.D's office.

In relation to my Department’s Home Tuition scheme, the relevant strand of the scheme will provide Home Tuition funding for children in circumstances where the parents of the child are seeking to enrol the child in a State funded school placement. For children of preschool age this will be in an early intervention class setting. In the event that such a setting is not available, my Department will make funding available to fund Home Tuition provision for the child as a compensatory measure until such time as a placement is available.

Where such a school placement is sought but not available, it is also open to parents to enrol their child in an ECCE funded setting. Where this occurs the Home Tuition scheme may be used to top up the provision for the child. In such circumstances the child will typically attend the ECCE funded provision for 15 Hours a week and will receive funding for 5 hours per week Home Tuition.

Where evidence is provided that a placement in a school based early intervention setting is available, eligibility for home tuition will cease.

It should be noted that Home Tuition support is only available for children who are unable to access a state funded school placement. It is not provided as an optional alternative. Where a school placement has been identified for a child in consultation with the Special Needs Organiser, no home tuition provision is permissible under the relevant strand of the scheme.