Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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526. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teachers and special needs assistants employed under the home tuition scheme for children and young persons in 2018, 2019 and 2020, by county in tabular form. [36830/20]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The purpose of the Special Education Home Tuition Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme also provides a compensatory educational service for children with special educational needs seeking an educational placement and provision is made for early educational intervention for children with autism.

As tuition takes place outside the usual school structure it is important that home tutors are qualified to provide an educational programme.  Accordingly, it is a condition of the scheme that parents/legal guardiansrecruit a tutor who is appropriately qualified and registered with the Teaching Council.

Where all efforts have failed to secure the services of a teacher qualified to teach in the sector concerned, the Department may consider the engagement of a person who is registered with the Teaching Council and has a primary degree (minimum Level 7 on the National Framework of Qualifications) in a relevant area, e.g. Psychology.

Under the Home Tuition Scheme, Home Tutors have always been engaged by the parents/guardian of the child who is to receive tuition. Home tutors do not have a contractual relationship with this Department. 

My Department acts solely as payroll agent on behalf of parents. Payment of the home tuition grant issues directly to the approved tutor via my Department's Non-Teaching Staff payroll.

This Department does not keep lists of tutors available to carry out Home Tuition.

Please see tutor numbers paid for the calendar years for 2018, 2019 and 2020 below: