Written answer
Special Educational Needs
Home tuition is intended as a short-term measure where no suitable special school or class placement is available, not as an alternative to schooling. The application was initially refused after the NCSE identified a placement, but was approved following confirmation that the placement was no longer available; the family was notified on 17 September 2026.
329. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Youth If she will urgently review the case of a child (details supplied) in County Kildare, who has been refused home tuition scheme hours on the basis that an alternative preschool place is available in another location; if she will outline the rationale for this decision given that the child has already secured and commenced a supported transition to a preschool; and if consideration was given to the child's individual educational and developmental needs and the importance of continuity and familiarity in the transition process. [67847/26]
Comment on this
The 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, home tuition is intended to be a short-term intervention.
The Home Tuition Grant Scheme (Special Education Component) provides funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for:
• Pre-school children with autism who meet the scheme's eligibility criteria;
• Children seeking a Special School or Special Class placement;
• Students enrolled in schools with a significant medical condition which has caused, and is likely to continue to cause, major disruption to their attendance at school; and
• Students enrolled in schools with 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 the case of children seeking a Special School or Special Class placement, the aim of my Department is to ensure that every child is supported to access an appropriate school placement. The preferred approach is that children are educated in school settings where they can benefit from qualified teachers, individualised educational supports, access to the school curriculum, and opportunities to interact with their peers.
Accordingly, home tuition is provided as an interim measure only where a suitable placement in a recognised school is not currently available and should not be regarded as an optional alternative to a school placement. In considering applications under the scheme, the key consideration is whether an appropriate placement is available.
In the case referred to by the Deputy, the application was assessed in accordance with the terms of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme. As the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) confirmed that a suitable school placement was available, the application did not meet the eligibility criteria of the scheme and was therefore refused.
Subsequently, the NCSE advised my Department that the placement previously identified was no longer available. In light of this updated information, the case was reviewed and home tuition support was approved under the scheme. A sanction letter issued to the family on the 17th of September 2026.