John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and apologise for the Minister's absence. It provides me with the opportunity to clarify the position of the Department of Education and Science regarding educational provision for pupils with autistic spectrum disorders, ASD.

The Deputy will be aware of the commitment of the Department of Education and Science to ensuring that all children, including those with ASD, receive an education appropriate to their needs. In that regard, the Department has established 171 special classes for children with autism attached to special and mainstream schools; five special classes for children with Asperger's syndrome; 16 pre-school classes to facilitate the demand for early intervention provision for children on the autistic spectrum; and 12 stand-alone facilities providing an applied behavioural analysis, ABA-specific methodology on a pilot basis. Approval has also been given for the establishment of a further two such facilities. The group referred to by the Deputy has applied for inclusion under that scheme.

The Department is of the view that children with autism, in common with all children, should have access to appropriate provision delivered by suitably qualified teachers within the school system where the children can mix with their wider peer group and have maximum opportunities for integration. Pupils with autism who are fully integrated into mainstream school receive individual teaching support for several hours per week, as well as support from special needs assistants and specialist equipment, if required.

Pupils attending those classes benefit from having a wider range of ASD teaching methodologies open to them, fully qualified national school teachers, a school structure and the option of integration into mainstream classes immediately available, depending on each child's ability and progress. Schools have the support of the Special Education Support Service, SESS, which is committed to providing continuing training as appropriate.

Staffing supports for autistic children in special classes in ordinary schools and special schools have a maximum pupil-teacher ratio of six pupils to every teacher. A minimum of two special needs assistants are provided per class, with the possibility of additional special needs assistant posts being made available up to a 1:1 basis where required.

The newly established National Council for Special Education and its team of over 70 special educational needs organisers is also working across the country to ensure that new services are put in place where needed so that children with special needs, including those on the autistic spectrum, have access to appropriate school-based provision.

I advise the Deputy that the Department of Education and Science is currently considering the application from Bluebell in Limerick for inclusion under the pilot scheme. I thank the Deputy once again for raising this matter. I assure her that I will bring her points to the Minister's attention. As the parent of a physically challenged child, I fully support the efforts of parents in Limerick to have such provision.

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