Home Tuition.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 March 2008

Tuesday, 11 March 2008

Questions (338)

Brian Hayes

Question:

413 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason, in view of the issue of her Department underpaying the home tuition grant to parents of children taught by qualified teachers at the ELI schools in Dublin, Wicklow and Galway for a number of years and further to her reply to Parliamentary Question No. 508 of 27 November 2007, her Department will not go through its records and issue payments to parents as all of the relevant documentation is within her Department instead of the option of getting parents to make claims where in many cases they are unable to find the teacher in question; and if she will resolve this matter. [10473/08]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Mary Hanafin)

The rates of pay applicable to home tuition tutors are based on the qualifications of the tutor. Therefore tutors fall into 2 categories for payment purposes i.e. primary and secondary in accordance with the appropriate part time rates of payment. A subdivision within the categories reflects whether the tutor is qualified or unqualified. Early intervention tutors are primary teachers and therefore paid at primary part time payment rates. My Department will consider any applications submitted by parents where they consider that an underpayment has occurred in the payment of the home tuition grant.

Question No. 414 answered with Question No. 383.