Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

A number of points have been made. I think I have explained the Castleknock issue. There is no need to go back to that. The issue has to be resolved. I do not want to repeat all the points and arguments which were made when the issue of children's needs was raised a few weeks ago. I referred on that occasion to international advice on the best way of dealing with autism and how we should deal with it. We are providing enormous resources in this area and rightly so. Autism is a huge problem, difficulty and challenge for any family. Every Member of this House has seen it at first hand. We are familiar with the consequences of autism. It was not recognised until the last decade, but that is part of history now.

Funding for ten hours of home tuition per week is available for children with autism who are under the age of three. Funding for 20 hours a week is available after such children have reached that age. Some 23 pre-schools for children with autism have been established. The Department funds home tuition for children aged six or more who are encountering difficulties in securing appropriate educational placements. That scheme covers some of the children mentioned by Deputy Kenny. Approximately 30 children are in such a position. Placements have been found for the vast majority of children with autism across the length and breadth of the country.

Three distinct educational options are now open to autistic children of schoolgoing age. They can be placed in ordinary classes with the support of a resource teacher or a special needs assistant, if needed. They can be placed in a special class within a mainstream school or they can be placed in a special school. While many children with autism can thrive in ordinary classrooms, special classes have been designed specifically to deal with the needs of children with autism who need greater levels of individual support. In some instances, the Department believes it has provided appropriate services to a child, but his or her family does not believe that to be the case. If the Department believes it is right, it has to defend its case. We wish such circumstances did not arise. The Department's belief in its position has been vindicated in most cases. It is a pity it comes to that.

I cannot let it go without mentioning that an enormous amount has happened in this area. I know there are differences of opinion about international advice, etc. Various Members of the House have different views. I understand all of that. We will see that as research changes. As a country, we are spending huge resources — approximately €1 billion — in this area. Those moneys are being used to employ 10,000 special needs assistants in our schools. There were just 300 special needs assistants in this country when I became Taoiseach. There are approximately 9,000 resource teachers in learning support positions, compared to 2,000 in 1997.

Over the past decade, we have increased from 2,300 to 19,000 the number of people who are paid to provide services and help children with autism every day of the week. We are extending that by multiples every year. We have doubled the amount of money being spent in this area over the past four years. The developments we have made in this country have been quite extraordinary. We are prepared to continue to do that. We will be doing it. We will follow best international practice in the process.

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