Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I thank Mr. Harris, Ms Mellerick, Ms Mullock, Ms Soraghan and Ms Ward for all the work they are doing. It is important work and it is worthwhile.

To consider some of the work they have been doing on this, it is incredible that in education the number of second level special classes increased by 714% between 2010 and 2022, primarily due to a 905% increase in classes for autism. That is almost a 1,000% increase. Sometimes we forget how far we have come and how poor it was in the past. At second level, provision has grown from just 65 special classes in 2010. At primary level, it was 356 in 2010 and grew to 1,207 in 2022. In 2016, I remember checking the number and there were only 12 special classes in all of County Kildare. I was completely appalled and shocked. However, we have a long way to go.

Will AsIAm and ILMI speak about the programmes and opportunities they provide at present for school leavers and adults? Is there scope to deliver more if they had more funding to help young people with disabilities to reach their full potential and the highest level of independence possible for them? Everyone will have a different line they can aspire to.

How can the Government and various the sections of government that are involved in this area remove barriers and make environments, including education and health, inclusive for people with disabilities?

My last question relates to something I am grappling with at the moment on behalf of a few parents. We have primary care services and CDNTs that provide services for children with disabilities up to the age of 18. However, there is then a difficult transition. It is important and helpful that the Department of Education has made a decision that special schools should have career guidance. That was something this committee and the education committee fought strongly for. However, it is a difficult transition and there is no straight roadmap. Individual roadmaps are needed. Perhaps the witnesses could speak about the transition from progressing disability services to adult services.