Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein)
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143. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are delays in the registration of home tutors. [12910/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Departments Home Tuition Grant Scheme provides funding towards a compensatory educational service for children with special educational needs seeking an educational placement. Provision is also made for early intervention for children with autism.

By its nature, the grant is intended to be a short term intervention and should not be regarded as an optional alternative to a school placement.

As tuition takes place outside the usual school structure it is important that the educational programme provided generally reflects that which would be provided in a school environment.

It is appropriate therefore that the qualification standard for Home Tuition generally reflects that required in a school environment. Accordingly, it is a condition of the scheme that parents/guardians must recruit a tutor who is qualified in the relevant sector, and is registered with the Teaching Council, similar to the requirement for teachers in schools. 

In addition, tutors engaged must be vetted by the National Vetting Bureau via the Teaching Council of Ireland’s online vetting process, prior to the commencement of the delivery of tuition.

My Department has no flexibility in this regard.

The same conditions apply whether Parents use the grant to engage tutors to deliver tuition in their home or private providers to deliver tuition in a group setting.

The Teaching Council of Ireland outlines that it will endeavour to process applications for registration within 4-6 weeks. For people holding overseas qualifications it is within 12 weeks. The Council has confirmed that it is currently meeting these processing times.