Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)

Over the past few years, I have seen mainstream schools embracing the idea of opening up autism classes and special classes. I have seen them repeatedly get letters back from the SENO or the NCSE saying they cannot sanction it because there is a school 15 or 18 miles over the road with two spaces. That might sound fine on a spreadsheet in the Department but it does not work practically. I have someone close to me with additional needs. Their learning and attainment is not always priority number one; it is usually their well-being, how happy they are and how they get on socially. The dream for most parents of children with additional needs is that they are invited to a birthday party on Saturday morning or they are down kicking a football with other kids their age. This model of children being bussed out to a school 18 miles out the road in west Clare when they should be in one quite close to home is a blunt instrument. In the previous Government, I brought this up with the then Minister. The Minister desired to have more but on a practical level, when SENOs are looking at this, they see gaps and spaces and say no, the child has to go out to west or east Clare and they cannot set one up locally. Will the Minister of State comment on the geographical issue?