Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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92. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason persons (details supplied) were not allocated sufficient home tuition hours for their child as recommended by a specialist; if he will review this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6459/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service for children with Special Educational Needs who are seeking an educational placement, either in a special school, a special class, including an early intervention class within a mainstream school, or a mainstream class. In the event that no such placement is available, home tuition can be provided until such a placement becomes available.

Home Tuition will not be available where a school placement has been identified by the NCSE. Similarly, failure to enrol a child in school will not give rise to eligibility under this scheme.

The child referred to by the Deputy was attending an early intervention setting in a pre-school, therefore, and as set out in Section 3 of the Home Tuition Circular 0046/2016, the home tuition hours allocated was the difference between the hours approved in the early intervention setting and the maximum home tuition hours for which the child would normally be eligible under the terms of this scheme.

As the child’s sibling had been approved for home tuition hours, due to the unavailability of a school placement, the sanction of tuition hours for this child was granted on a group basis. As set out in the Home Tuition Circular for 2016/17, 0046/2016, allocations to siblings are on a group/combined basis which is reflective of the school grouping principle i.e. where the pupil teacher ratio in school settings can result in one teacher being allocated to a class of six pupils with children of mixed age and ability at the appropriate educational level (i.e. primary or post primary).  However, my Department may consider applications for separate allocations where evidence is provided which sets out the differentiated needs of siblings and reasons why they cannot be tutored together.