Emer Currie
Ceist:287. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the home tuition grant for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52665/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 2 October 2025
Ceisteanna (287)
Freagraí scríofa
The Department of Education and Youth's Home Tuition Grant Scheme provides funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. By its nature, it is intended to be a short term intervention.
An application under the home tuition grant scheme for the child referred to by the Deputy was received by Home Tuition Unit within my department on the 19th of September 2025 and a decision letter issued to grant the home tuition to the parent/guardian by email on the 26th of September 2025.
The purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme (Special Education component) 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
Under category b above, 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 the case referred to by the deputy, home tuition is being provided until building work are completed.
While the Home Tuition application form outlines that it may take the department up to 15 working days to process home tuition applications, the department is prioritising the processing of applications with a view to processing completed applications sooner than the 15 day deadline.