Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The word "disorder" is part of a different portfolio, but it is an issue. It is a question of the terminology being used and I would love to see the word "unit" removed.

I acknowledge the significant investment and support for schools from the Minister's office, whether it is school-building or staff. It has to be acknowledged that considerable investment is being made by the State in special education. It has to be put on the record.

The summer programme has been referenced a number of times today. I thank Mr. Hanlon for his engagement over the past 12 months. Numerous conversations have been had on this subject. We are both of a similar mindset to make sure improvements were made. I look at my own geographical area, which we call the "Shannonside Northern Sound area", that is, counties Longford, Westmeath, Cavan, Monaghan, Roscommon and Leitrim. Two schools, with the capacity for 14% of the pupils who are in the special schools within those six counties, have come forward for a summer programme this year. That is the one of the gaping geographical areas. I would fully support any initiative put in place to make sure of provision for parents. I have anecdotally heard stories of special schools that do not provide a summer programme, but that ring the principal of a national school half a mile down the road to ask whether the school would have a place for some of its kids. I know those principals are fairly frustrated. They are putting on a four-week programme, because it is their duty to provide the programme for the kids within their school. It really annoys me, to be quite honest. We need to take a stronger hand on it.

We put out an olive branch this year and made substantial changes. I know we have 20 extra schools and we are up to roughly 45% of schools in the country, but we need to go a little bit further. Those schools are funded and wages paid by the State. I have been told of a school saying no other staff would be able to look after the kids and yet, they would make a call to the primary school for a completely new set of staff to look after the kids, rather than doing so in the environment where the children are the rest of the year. I have strong feelings on it, as the witnesses can hear. I acknowledge the considerable work that was done, led by Mr. Hanlon. I fully support any measures put in place for geographical areas. We should look at that.

The Middletown Centre for Autism, whose committee was here with us, is under-utilised by us, as a State. We are funding half of it. I would like to see Middletown, which is recognised throughout Europe as using best practice, provide training programmes for our special needs assistants, SNAs, and teachers within our schools, to provide a model of training going forward. It could be linked in with a reduction in Croke Park hours, based on having undertaken that training, or a model could be created for SNA or teachers to do autism training in the summertime with the Middletown centre. It would be extremely beneficial. I know we had the Teaching Council and the Irish Primary Principals Network, IPPN, before the committee. The Teaching Council was positive about changes to teaching training.

I welcome comments the Ministers has made that by 2024, all teachers coming out will have had significant engagement in all parts of education, in order that we have a fully inclusive education system. Would it be worthwhile, as part of that, to have teacher training and a placement within the summer programme, with student teachers being obliged to work at least one summer on the programme, to help with the numbers? The Minister mentioned 1,500 people have put themselves forward on the portal. Will we be able to employ all of them, to make sure we have a fully resourced programme for this year? I apologise for asking a load of questions.