Niamh Smyth
Question:342. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education to examine a case (details supplied) and expedite an application with the Teaching Council; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25461/24]
View answerTuesday, 11 June 2024
Questions (342)
Written answers
The Purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons, are unable to attend school. The scheme also provides a compensatory educational service for children with special educational needs seeking an educational placement for whom such a placement is not available. Likewise, provision is made for early educational intervention for children aged from 2.5 years to 3 years with autism.
Where parents of children, for whom home tuition has been approved, have sought alternative measures to be put in place for the tuition, my Department has an arrangement with certain private pre-school providers to provide group tuition to children in a class type setting. Each private pre-school provider is selected by the parents.
My Department has no contract with these pre-school providers. The contract is essentially between the parents and the relevant provider. The same conditions, such as the requirement to be actively registered and vetted with the Teaching Council, continue to apply whether parents use the grant to engage tutors to deliver tuition in their home or private providers to deliver tuition in a group setting.
In the case referred to by the Deputy, I can confirm that my officials have already been in liaison with the pre-school concerned in a bid to provide assistance. I am also pleased to confirm that the matter has now been resolved.