Mary Wallace (Meath, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputies Fox and McManus for their kind wishes. I am pleased to have been afforded the opportunity by the Deputies to clarify the position of the Department of Education and Science in regard to St. Catherine's pre-school for autism. I hope what I have to say will be of assistance and guidance on the way forward.

I assure the Deputies that the Department of Education and Science is anxious that children, including children with autistic spectrum disorders, ASD, receive an education appropriate to their needs. In that context, the Department currently funds three classes in St. Catherine's to cater for the needs of up to 18 children with ASD. This funding is to provide for qualified teachers and special needs assistants, as well as an enhanced rate of capitation.

The Deputies will be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has responsibility for processing applications for additional special classes. On Wednesday, 1 February, officials in the Department and the NCSE met representatives of St. Catherine's to discuss a range of issues, including a request by it for funding in respect of an unauthorised class for children with ASD. Following this meeting, the officials issued a comprehensive letter on 8 February to the school representatives outlining the Department's and NCSE's position on the various matters discussed at the meeting.

The Department's letter covered a number of matters such as the need for a board of management to be put in place in St. Catherine's, the process for applying for sanction for further classes for children with ASD, training and qualifications of staff and other issues. It is now a matter for the school to proceed in accordance with the process that has been outlined to it in this letter. I point out that at no stage during the meeting did the school representatives indicate to the Department or the NCSE that St. Catherine's would close its autistic services from the end of March. The Department of Education and Science first heard of this position through media reports and was surprised at this development, given that there had been no direct contact from the school to this effect.

It will be a matter for the NCSE to process the application and, in doing so, to seek whatever additional information it requires from the school to enable it to make an informed decision. The NCSE can seek advice, if required, from the Department in regard to the application. Factors such as the needs of the individual children, levels of existing provision in the area and geographical location of the proposed attendees are matters that the NCSE will need to consider in processing the application.

The Department will continue to prioritise the issue of special needs education for children with autism and, in co-operation with the NCSE, ensure that all children with special needs are adequately resourced to enable them to reach their full potential.

I thank the Deputies for affording me this opportunity to clarify these important issues. I would encourage the school representatives to follow the process outlined in the letter of 8 February last. With regard to Deputy Fox's request for a meeting with the Minister, I will ask my office to pass that request to the Minister's office tomorrow morning.

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