Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

Does the Minister accept that it is very mean to cut this service for 100 autistic children who benefited from it until now? I accept there may be a need to examine how the money was being spent or to reform the system to ensure the money was being well spent but we are talking here about autistic children who are in mainstream schools and who have additional needs over and above those of their classmates. I ask the Minister to examine this issue herself. There are now 100 families who have lost a support for their very needy children that they enjoyed until now. I urge her to re-examine these cases.

The special educational needs organisers cannot do anything about this because, according to individual parents I have spoken to, the organisers are implementing a policy decision of the Department that these children will not have home tuition grants. The organisers, therefore, cannot give them anything extra outside of school hours. The issue lies with the Department and I ask the Minister to respond to my concerns.

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