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Home Tuition Scheme

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 November 2020

Tuesday, 17 November 2020

Questions (526)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

526. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education the number of teachers and special needs assistants employed under the home tuition scheme for children and young persons in 2018, 2019 and 2020, by county in tabular form. [36830/20]

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Written answers

The purpose of the Special Education Home Tuition 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 and provision is made for early educational intervention for children with autism.

As tuition takes place outside the usual school structure it is important that home tutors are qualified to provide an educational programme.  Accordingly, it is a condition of the scheme that parents/legal guardians recruit a tutor who is appropriately qualified and registered with the Teaching Council.

Where all efforts have failed to secure the services of a teacher qualified to teach in the sector concerned, the Department may consider the engagement of a person who is registered with the Teaching Council and has a primary degree (minimum Level 7 on the National Framework of Qualifications) in a relevant area, e.g. Psychology.

Under the Home Tuition Scheme, Home Tutors have always been engaged by the parents/guardian of the child who is to receive tuition. Home tutors do not have a contractual relationship with this Department. 

My Department acts solely as payroll agent on behalf of parents. Payment of the home tuition grant issues directly to the approved tutor via my Department's Non-Teaching Staff payroll.

This Department does not keep lists of tutors available to carry out Home Tuition.

Please see tutor numbers paid for the calendar years for 2018, 2019 and 2020 below:

County

2018

2019

2020

Carlow

40

28

17

Cavan

17

24

19

Clare

90

81

46

Cork

286

272

226

Donegal

41

57

45

Dublin

366

397

286

Galway

121

119

52

Kerry

75

50

40

Kildare

100

111

63

Kilkenny

48

33

27

Laois

47

58

28

Leitrim

17

16

13

Limerick

147

127

93

Longford

30

28

28

Louth

58

43

23

Mayo

50

46

30

Meath

111

112

79

Monaghan

19

14

14

Offaly

54

53

38

Roscommon

45

43

42

Sligo

17

21

9

Tipperary

84

72

53

Waterford 

42

23

37

Westmeath

58

43

41

Wexford

51

63

37

Wicklow

88

72

39

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