I am pleased to advise the Deputy that my Department has identified a qualified teacher who is immediately available to provide a home tuition service to the child in question. I have asked my Department's inspectorate to contact the child's parents to arrange for the putting in place of this service as speedily as possible.
The practice of requiring parents to identify a suitable teacher to deliver home tuition services and to maintain certain records in relation to the service delivered, reflects the traditional basis for the service which was focused on addressing the needs of children who were unable to attend school due to serious illness. In such situations, it was felt that the parents should have a central involvement in the arrangements so that the service would be designed around the needs and circumstances of the child and family involved.
However, my Department has always been willing to assist in the identification of suitable teachers to deliver the service, as indicated in the case in question. The requirement that parents keep a record of the tuition actually delivered was necessary in view of the reality that many of the children involved would not always be well enough or available to receive the full level of service approved by the Department.
Given the significant growth in the scope of the home tuition service which has taken place over recent years, my Department is currently reviewing its procedures in this area. This review will include the areas of concern which have been raised by the Deputy.
I can assure the Deputy that I am most anxious that a suitable school placement be arranged for the child in question as quickly as possible. With regard to the delay in dealing with this issue, I understand that the matter was not brought to the attention of my Department's special education section until October of this year. I also understand that a home tuition service was approved for the child in question within days of the special education section becoming aware of the case. I can also assure the Deputy that my Department's inspectorate has been actively engaged in seeking to arrange a suitable school placement for the child and is continuing its efforts in this regard.
