Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Special education need is defined by the same meaning as is held within the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act. What we are trying to do is provide for a situation in which, if a special school or special class has been provided for and is seeking to cater to a particular type of need, the admission statement of the school shall include a statement that the school may refuse to admit a student who does not have the specified category of special education need concerned.

The purpose of this measure is to allow the Department to make special provision for certain categories. If we believe that the autism spectrum disorder, ASD, category has a particular need or that a different type of special class should be provided - we make provision for in that not all special classes are ASD units - we can have that differential type of provision in order that we can tailor our intervention to the individual needs of the child. All we were trying to provide for here is that if we have made such a tailored provision, it is reasonable to reserve those places for the children who have that need. Otherwise, it would be very difficult for us to plan the spectrum of provision for different types of special need.