James Breen (Clare, Independent)

I raise this matter as a result of a reply to a question I tabled last week to the Minister for Education and Science. She did everything but answer my question on that occasion. She kicked for touch on the issue, and when the Minister kicks for touch in answering a question, she would do justice to O'Gara or O'Driscoll. Many Ministers do the same.

Ennis has a population of approximately 26,000. I request autism facilities in a mainstream school in the town of Ennis. Ennis has a catchment area of 35,000. If it had mainstream autism facilities for children and teenagers those services would be available within five miles of the town. We have a first class autism facility in the other half of my parish in Inagh, and that is operating very successfully.

The Department gave 70% funding last year for the building and the community raised the other 30%. Six pupils attend that school. They come from Ennis, Kilmurray, Miltown Malbay and Toonagh. Ennis is 14 miles from Inagh and we need an autism facility in a mainstream school in Ennis where children suffering from autism can mingle with the other students in the school in a natural environment. We have facilities in Ennis for autism but there are no special schools. It is a swipe at the most vulnerable in our society that the Minister for Education and Science will not give a guarantee that autism facilities will be provided in Ennis.

There is another matter in Ennis which concerns the Minister's Department. Eleven pupils currently attend St. Michael's school for special needs children, but this school will be closed by 2006, although the Department of Health and Children has denied that. The school is not taking any more enrolments and when that happens it means the school is being phased out. I ask the Minister not to allow that to happen. The children attending that school have 14 hours education and tuition weekly. The school now wants them to attend two and a half hours of intense training, but that is not acceptable for children ranging in age from two and a half to six years.

If the Minister of State intends to give me the same reply as the one I got from the Minister for Education and Science last week, I ask him not to read it out because I do not want to hear it. If he has something positive to say, however, or if he can tell me that the Minister will provide the facilities I am requesting for Ennis, I will listen to the reply.

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