Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Home Tuition Grant Scheme is a short-term measure available 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.

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. Aspects of the scheme differ, depending on the reason for the application.

The Department of Education operates four categories of home tuition:

1. Home tuition for children with special educational needs and on medical grounds. www.gov.ie/en/service/d15f58-home-tuition/#home-tuition-for-children-with-special-educational-needs-and-medical-grounds
2. Maternity-related absences www.gov.ie/en/service/d15f58-home-tuition/#home-tuition-for-students-on-maternity-related-absences
3. No School Place (NSP) Home Tuition Scheme www.gov.ie/en/service/d15f58-home-tuition/#home-tuition-for-children-with-no-school-placensp
4. Children in Care (CIC) Home Tuition Scheme www.gov.ie/en/service/d15f58-home-tuition/#home-tuition-for-children-in-carecic.

There are a variety of reasons why a child may be without a school place such as children moving school mid-year, family relocating, expulsion, children receiving a place further away than they can travel to. The Home Tuition Scheme is a short-term measure until a solution is put in place.

A referral for a child without a school place is prioritised by the Educational Welfare Service and an Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) is assigned immediately to support families who are in this situation. The Educational Welfare Service is part of Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) and operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, a piece of legislation that emphasises the promotion of school attendance, participation, and retention. The Educational Welfare Service can assist a family when applying for home tuition if the child is without a school placement. Home tutors are engaged by the parents/guardian of the child who is to receive tuition and the tutor has no contractual relationship with the Department of Education.

In the 2024/2025 school year there are 6 children who have availed of Home Tuition in Cork due to the lack of a suitable school place.

Separately, 22 applications for home tuition (special education component) were approved in respect of children who were requiring or transitioning into a school place in Cork. It is important to note that the number approved for home tuition is not an indicator of the number of children currently without a school place. Of the 22 home tuition applications approved, 7 of these children are availing of an educational setting with a private group provider, while the remainder have since received a school place or are transitioning to a school place.