Written answers

Wednesday, 17 September 2025

Department of Education and Skills

Departmental Schemes

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Photo of Louis O'HaraLouis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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474. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a decision on a home tuition grant will be reconsidered in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47964/25]

Photo of Michael MoynihanMichael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government.

The Home Tuition Grant Scheme is governed by annual circulars which sets out the purpose, eligibility criteria and details of the scheme. Full details are published on the following webpage: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/services/home-tuition/ All schools are aware of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme. Equally, parents/legal guardians are encouraged to engage with the NCSE if they have any queries or concerns around the provision of supports for their child.

The following is general information on the department’s Home Tuition Grant Scheme (Special Education Component):

The purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for

  1. Pre-School Children with autism who meet the scheme’s eligibility criteria.
  2. Children seeking a Special School or Special Class placement.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
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.

In relation to categories c) and d) where an application is received in respect of a student with a significant medical condition or with diagnosis of school phobia and/or associated depression/anxiety, the principle that home tuition cannot be provided as an alternative to school applies.

Eligibility under these categories is assessed having regard to, although not limited to, the following criteria:
  • The student’s attendance levels during the previous school year.
  • A relevant medical /relevant professional report. In the case of category d), a psychologist’s/psychiatrist’s report will be required.
  • Details of engagement with the relevant support agencies (e.g., School, NEPS, Education Welfare Officer (EWO), Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), TUSLA (Child and Family Agency), HSE, NCSE). Applicable to category d) only.
In relation to the case referred to by the Deputy, the child in question did not meet the eligibility criteria as they were home-schooled. Under the Home Tuition Grant Scheme, eligibility requires that the student must be enrolled in a recognised school during the previous academic year in order to establish attendance records. In absence of such data, the department cannot determine the appropriate level of home tuition support.

Notwithstanding this, the department has received the appeal and is currently processing it. A decision on the appeal will issue in the coming days.

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