Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)

We have time for a second round of questions. Members will have two minutes each in this round and then Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin can come in at the end of the round. I am first on the roster. I will go back to a point I made earlier that a lot of special schools are now expected, and rightly so, to be rolling out a second level curriculum and, with that, specialised subjects.

I know a few examples where the Department has communicated to those schools that a trolley in and out of the classroom is sufficient to deliver specialised subjects like woodwork and metalwork. Does the Minister think enough is done to resource special schools to teach those highly technical and specialised second level subjects?

There is a national push to resource ASD classes in almost every school in the country, and rightly so. There was underinvestment for far too long. Now, the diagnoses of ASD are up and the number of children coming through the system in need of support is up. Sometimes, parents ask me whether, in the emphasis on resourcing ASD classes, which I am not trying to take away from because we need more, children with other additional needs like Down's syndrome and mild general learning disabilities are being forgotten. I put this to the Minister and her officials.

Regarding NEPS, does the Minister think it right that principals have to make a loaves and fishes decision each year in the terms of what children are referred to NEPS?