Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 October 2023
288. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education the number of recipients of home tuition grants due to mental health issues for 2022-23; the average number of weekly hours they received; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45352/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department's Home Tuition Grant Schemes provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. By its nature, it is intended to be a short term intervention.
The Home Tuition Grant Schemes are governed by annual circulars which sets out the purpose, eligibility criteria and details of the scheme. Circular 0024/2023 provides information in relation to the 2023/2024 Home Tuition Grant Scheme and can be accessed by clicking on the following link: gov.ie - Home Tuition Grant Scheme 2023/2024 Special Education Component (www.gov.ie)
The purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for:
(a) Early educational intervention for children with autism who meet the scheme’s eligibility criteria
(b) Students with special educational needs seeking an educational placement in a recognised school
(c) Students, enrolled in schools, with a significant medical condition, or school phobia and/or associated depression/anxiety, which has caused, and is likely to continue to cause, major disruption to their attendance at school
In exceptional cases the Department will consider home tuition applications on behalf of students with diagnoses of school phobia and/or associated depression/anxiety which has caused, and is likely to continue to cause, major disruption to their attendance at school. This exception will only apply where a continued absence from school is required to facilitate appropriate medical or therapeutic intervention with a view to the reintegration of the student in their school.
In relation to applications in respect of students with diagnoses of school phobia and/or associated depression/anxiety, the principle that home tuition cannot be provided as an alternative to school applies.
Eligibility in exceptional cases is assessed having regard to, although not limited to, the following criteria:
• The student’s attendance levels during the previous school year.
• Psychologist’s/psychiatrist’s report which should
i. Clearly confirm a diagnosis of school phobia and/or associated depression/anxiety.
ii. Provide details of medical or therapeutic intervention plans in place with a view to reintegrate the student back into his/her school.
• Details of engagement with the relevant support agencies (e.g. School, National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), Education Welfare Officer (EWO), Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), TUSLA (Child and Family Agency), HSE, NCSE).
For students with diagnoses of school phobia and/or associated depression/anxiety, generally, grant aid based on a range of between 2 and 10 hours tuition may be approved with the allocation reflecting the level of attendance in the previous school year (i.e. 2022/23 school year), and whether the attendance was at primary or post primary level. As a general guide, up to 5 hours may be granted to children at primary level while students at post primary level may be granted between 2 and 7 hours, and students sitting their Leaving Certificate Examinations may be granted between 2 and 10 hours.
In the 2022/23 school year, 418 students were sanctioned Home Tuition under the mental health strand of the scheme, with the average of 6.5 hours being sanctioned per student.
