Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Following on from that, I wish to raise a matter which, since I was elected to national politics 14 months ago, I have failed to understand. We are relying on schools to make decisions to cater for the needs of a certain population that might be in their vicinity. I will put my teacher hat on and suggest that if there is demand in a certain area, then a school should be mandated to address it and cater for it. There are areas in my own county, including in and around Cork city, where there are population centres of around 20,000 people but no autism spectrum disorder, ASD, unit at second level, for example. If we are relying on schools to make local decisions, then the potential exists for deficits in provision in certain areas. Much will depend on how proactive schools are in particular areas. Is there a greater role for the Department in terms of mandating schools? I am aware of the powers available to the Minister, albeit they are used infrequently. Should there be a demand-led model rather than the discretionary model that operates at the moment?