Darren O'Rourke
Question:524. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of successful home tuition applications in each of the years 2020 to 2024, in tabular form. [8073/26]
View answerWednesday, 4 February 2026
Questions (524, 525)
Darren O'Rourke
Question:525. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of persons which were successful in applying for home tuition in 2025 and to date in 2026. [8074/26]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 524 and 525 together.
The Home Tuition Grant Scheme is 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. It is a short-term measure 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 and Youth operates three categories of home tuition:
Home tuition for children with special educational needs and on medical grounds.
The purpose of this scheme is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for:
• Pre-School children with autism who meet the scheme’s eligibility criteria.
• Children seeking a Special School or Special Class placement.
• 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.
• 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.
Maternity-related absences.
The purpose of this Home Tuition scheme is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for girls at post-primary level who, due to their pregnancy, are unable to attend school. Maternity Related Home Tuition is intended as an interim provision to assist girls to complete their post-primary education. Provision of tuition under this scheme is for a maximum of 90 hours over a 6-month period from the date of sanction.
Reasons other than special educational needs and medical grounds
Strand 1 offers a temporary educational measure for a child who is temporarily without a school place, or without the offer of a school place and who is a actively seeking a place in a school recognised by the department. The NSP Home Tuition Scheme provides tuition for a maximum of 12 weeks of 9 hours tuition per week. A re-application may be made when the number of tuition weeks have elapsed.
Strand 2 of this scheme is for children in care, who are without a school place due to emergency placement or placement disruption. The CIC Home Tuition Grant Scheme provides tuition for a maximum of 6 weeks for Children in Care for a maximum of 9 hours per week. A re-application may be made when the number of tuition weeks have elapsed.
Below is a table that outlines the overall number of applications which were successful in applying for home tuition (all schemes) in the last 5 school years, including the current school year:
|
Year |
Total No. of Sanctions |
|
2020/2021 |
1623 |
|
2021/2022 |
1576 |
|
2022/2023 |
1667 |
|
2023/2024 |
1668 |
|
2024/2025 |
1791 |
|
2025/2026* |
1268 |
*Information correct as of 29/01/2026
Question No. 525 answered with Question No. 524.