Mr. Andy Pike:

In answer to Deputy Ó Murchú's question, I can only say it would help if we knew what Government policy was. Good ideas are propagated from time to time but none of them are delivered across the school sector. I will not go back over the school inclusion issue, but it is a shame that when the sector was gearing up for a new approach it did not happen and we do not know what the future holds.

In our submission we go through some of the problems that schools will face in managing SNA supports to autistic students because we were transitioning from a system whereby an SNA was assigned to a specific student to a system that we thought would develop something along the lines of a national service where SNAs would be available in most if not all schools on a permanent basis. Again, that project is up in the air. Moving away from a scheme towards a service which students with additional needs such as autism would be entitled to is the right path to take. It should not be a lottery or depend on an application. It should be a case of assessing need and if the need is there it should be met. I will hand over to my colleague, Ms Kelly, to see if she has anything to add.