Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

394. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the average processing time for the home tuition grant scheme applications for children without school placements; the number of applications delayed beyond 30 working days in the past year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37189/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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. An Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) is assigned immediately to support families where children are temporarily without a school place, are without an offer of a school place and are actively seeking a school placement in a recognised school. For home tuition to be approved, parents, with the assistance of EWOs, are required to submit the required application form fully completed together with supporting documentation such as refusal letters from schools. Home tutors are engaged by the parents/guardian of the child who is to receive tuition.

Application forms which are fully completed with the appropriate documentation attached are processed on average within 8 working days of receipt.

There are instances where application forms are incomplete or are missing the required documentation. In such cases, delays may be experienced in processing these applications. There were 3 cases where an application for home tuition was approved more than 30 days after receipt of the original application. In all cases this was due to delays in the submission of correctly completed forms and documentation.

Regarding home tuition for children seeking a special school or special class placement aged from 4 years upwards, the Special Education Section does not have precise processing times for applications submitted under this strand of the scheme (Form HTSEN1). Applicants are advised on the form that failure to fully complete applications, including submitting all required documentation, will result in processing delays. In some cases, incomplete forms will be returned to the applicant. Where fully completed forms have been submitted, applicants are requested to allow up to 15 working days for processing.

Most fully completed applications received by the Special Education Section under the 2024/25 scheme have been processed within the 15 working days timeframe, except for those applications received during the summer months for the new school year when volumes are particularly high. However, even in these cases, decisions were issued before the scheme's start date, thereby ensuring that tuition was not delayed. The estimated average processing time for home tuition applications under this strand is approximately 11 working days.