Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 November 2017
181. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of secondary students in receipt of home tuition as a result of being expelled from a second level school and no other school being willing to accept them as pupils; the regional breakdown of this provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50265/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides grant funding under a number of Home Tuition Schemes. One of the Home Tuition schemes caters for children who are temporarily without a school place. The purpose of this No School Place (NSP) Home Tuition Scheme is to grant funding for the provision of home tuition to children for whom a school placement is being sought.
The Educational Welfare Service (EWS) of the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. A parent applying for funding under this Home Tuition Scheme must make the application through their local Educational Welfare Officer in the EWS.
At the present time, in the current school term, funding for home tuition support has been approved for 46 post-primary students who have been permanently expelled from school. My Department does not collate these statistics by region.
