David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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91. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that the designated 20 hours of one-on-one home tuition are given to a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39549/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Education's Home Tuition Grant Scheme provides funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. By its nature, it is intended to be a short term intervention.

Department officials have confirmed that the child, referred to by the Deputy, is already in receipt of the maximum number of hours that they are entitled to under the strand of the scheme they have applied for. The following it is hoped will serve as an explanation.

The purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme (Special Education component) is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for:

a.Pre-School Children with autism who meet the scheme’s eligibility criteria

b. Children seeking a Special School or Special Class placement

c. Students, enrolled in schools, with a significant medical condition, which has caused, and is likely to continue to cause, major disruption to their attendance at school

d. Students, enrolled in schools, with school phobia and/or associated depression/anxiety, which has caused, and is likely to continue to cause, major disruption to their attendance at school

Under category b above, the aim of the Department is to meet the needs of families and to ensure every child is allocated a suitable school placement. The preferred approach is that children are educated in school settings where children may have access to fully qualified teachers, individualised education programmes, special needs assistants, school curriculum with the option, where possible and appropriate, of full or partial integration and interaction with student peers. Accordingly, home tuition is provided as an interim measure only for children for whom a placement in a recognised school is not currently available and should not be regarded as an optional alternative to a school placement. Under this category, the maximum home tuition grant for child awaiting a school placement is based on 20 hours of home tuition per week, subject to the appropriate school calendar year.

In relation to categories c and d, where an application has been received in respect of a student with a significant medical condition or with a diagnosis of school phobia and/or associated depression/anxiety, the principle that home tuition cannot be provided as an alternative to school applies. Under these categories, grant aid based on a range of between 2 and 10 hours tuition may be approved with the allocation reflecting the level of attendance in the previous school year (i.e. the 2023/24 school year), and whether the attendance was at primary or post-primary level. As a general guide, up to 5 hours may be granted to children at primary level while students at post-primary level may be granted between 2 and 7 hours, and students sitting their leaving certificate examinations may be granted between 2 and 10 hours.

The Home Tuition Grant Scheme is governed by annual circulars which set out the details, purpose and eligibility criteria. Circular 0050/2024 provides information in relation to the 2024/25 Home Tuition Grant Scheme – Special Education component - and can be accessed by clicking on the following link: /www.gov.ie/en/service/d15f58-home-tuition/