Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 February 2018
192. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills if capital funding streams are available to a centre (details supplied) in County Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5572/18]
View answerThe Purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, 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. Provision is also made for early educational intervention for children aged from 2.5 years to 3 years with autism.
Home Tuition is provided as an interim measure only for children for whom a placement in a recognised school is sought bet not available and should not be regarded as an optional alternative to a school placement.
Where parents of children, who are eligible for Home Tuition under the terms of the scheme, and for whom home tuition has been approved, have sought alternative arrangements to be put in place for the tuition, my Department has responded by putting arrangements in place with 12 private pre-school providers which provide group tuition to children in a class type setting. Each of these providers was selected by the parents.
My Department will consider similar arrangements with other private providers should parents of eligible children request this.
In recognition of the demand for group arrangements by parents of children, who are eligible for Home Tuition under the scheme, my Department now advises all such parents of the option to enter into a group arrangement with other parents of children for whom home tuition has been sanctioned. My Department has no contract with the pre-school providers. The contract is essentially between the parents and the relevant provider. My Department does not provide capital funding to private pre-school providers.
Parents wishing to enter into such an arrangement must notify my Department in advance for approval. The arrangements must conform to the general terms of the scheme.
My Department has not been contacted by Parents seeking to enter into such an arrangement with the private pre-school provider referred to by the Deputy.
As outlined above, my Department does not provide capital funding to private pre-school providers under the Home Tuition Grant Scheme.
