Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 157 to 161, inclusive, together.

My Department published Circulars 0024/2023 and 0031/2023 on gov.ie - Home Tuition (www.gov.ie) detailing the Home Tuition provisions for children without a school place.

The purpose of my Department's Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. For children without a school place my Department administers Home Tuition schemes for:

a. Students with special educational needs seeking an educational placement in a recognised school

b. Students who are temporarily without a school place, is without an offer of a school place and is actively seeking a school placement in a recognised school

Home tuition is not an alternative to a school placement and is provided in very limited and specific circumstances. By its nature, it is intended to be a short term educational intervention. It is provided as an interim measure only for children for whom a placement in a recognised school is not available and should not be regarded as an optional alternative to a school placement. Home tutors are engaged by the parents/guardians of the child who is to receive the tuition.

My Department funds the cost of tuition provided where this complies fully with the terms of the approval for the scheme. It is a condition of grant funding that tutors engaged by parents are registered with and recognised by the Teaching Council of Ireland. All teachers currently registered with the Teaching Council of Ireland are vetted by the National Vetting Bureau. It is the responsibility of the parent/legal guardian to source a tutor at the earliest possible opportunity to allow for applications for registration/vetting to be made by the tutor to the Teaching Council, if necessary.

The Home Tuition grant scheme is operated with the assistance of the Educational Welfare Services of the Tusla Child and Family Agency. Application forms for scheme a) above are available from the gov.ie websitegov.ie - Home Tuition (www.gov.ie). Application forms for scheme b) grant scheme are available from the local Educational Welfare Officer (EWO)/or the appointed social worker. Contact details for the EWOs in a specific area can be obtained from the following website at www.tusla.ie/get-in-touch/education-and-welfare/#EWO.

The number of children without a school place who availed of home tuition over the past five years – for both primary and post-primary level are as follows:

Year	No. of pupils without a school place	Post-primary	Primary
2018/2019	288	218	70
2019/2020	162	123	39
2020/2021	131	104	27
2021/2022	111	86	25
2022/2023	188	153	35

The length of time each child who was without a school place availed of the home tuition scheme in each year of the last five years is as follows:

Year	No. of pupils without a school place	Post-primary	Primary	No. of HT allocations per pupil
2018/2019	288	218	70	4 pupils allocated HT 3 times, 60 pupils allocated HT 2 times,224 pupils allocated HT 1 time
2019/2020	162	123	39	1 pupil allocated HT 3 times, 33 pupils allocated HT 2 times128 pupils allocated HT 1 time
2020/2021	131	104	27	4 pupils allocated HT 3 times, 19 pupils allocated HT 2 times,108 pupils allocated HT 1 time
2021/2022	111	86	25	2 pupils allocated HT 3 times,19 pupils allocated HT 2 times,90 pupils allocated HT 1 time
2022/2023	188	153	35	5 pupils allocated HT 3 times, 39 pupils allocated HT 2 times, 144 pupils allocated HT 1 time

Home Tuition- No School Place-provides home tuition for children, other than those children with special education needs, who do not have a school place, are without the offer of a school place and for whom a school place is being actively sought. This includes children in care who are without a school place due to emergency placement or placement disruption. Provision of tuition under the No School Place strand of the scheme is for a maximum of 9 hours per week for 12 weeks.

Children in caregrants are provided for a maximum of 9 hours per week for 6 weeks after which they can make a separate application under the No School Place strand of the scheme for further tuition provision. Application forms are available from the appointed social worker.

The purpose of the No School Place (NSP) Home Tuition Scheme is to provide interim provision for children without a school place, without the offer of a school place and for whom a place is being actively sought. Provision of tuition under this scheme is for a maximum of 9 hours per week for a period of 12 weeks or until the end of the school year or until the child in question receives an offer of a school place, whichever occurs first. Home tuition should not be regarded as an alternative to securing a place in a recognized school and is for educational teaching intervention only.