Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)

I have a particular interest in this issue, which affects many schools throughout the country, including the two schools referred to in the question tabled by my colleague, Deputy Martin Ferris. We are calling on the Minister to reverse the cuts in funding for the autistic spectrum disorder units at Scoil Mhuire and St. Senan's national school in Enniscorthy. We commend the teachers, parents and supporters of both schools on their determination in opposing the losses of special needs assistants and teaching staff that have been inflicted on them. The decision earlier in the year not to include rural DEIS schools in the review of the cuts in teaching posts that were announced in budget 2012 has had far-reaching consequences. The special needs assistant allocations of both of these schools in County Wexford had already been slashed. Any hope that Scoil Mhuire would retain its five teaching posts was quickly dashed.

Any further cuts at Scoil Mhuire or at St. Senan's national school arising from the National Council for Special Education review would make it extremely difficult for the teachers in either school to continue to deliver the current standard of education to the children under their tutelage. The cuts that have been directed at both of these schools are threatening the tremendous progress that has been made in addressing special needs, particularly autistic spectrum disorders, and in facilitating students to overcome the difficulties associated with coming from a disadvantaged socio-economic group. One staff member has said that reductions in staff and resources are making it difficult to sustain the calibre of education offered to the approximately 560 students at Scoil Mhuire. It is absolutely vital that no more cuts are imposed in either of these schools as a result of the funding review that is being carried out by the National Council for Special Education.

I wonder what we have against children who are classified as having autistic spectrum disorders. The policy of the Department of Social Protection seems to be that the parents of children with autism are no longer entitled to domiciliary care allowance. It seems that the assessment done to determine the level of special needs assistance required by a child is based more on the availability of funding than on the level of intervention required by the child. Children with autism in my local area used to receive very few supports. In many cases, the only option was to put them into special schools. I have observed improvement after improvement over the years. It is very wrong to see those improvements being reversed. If the parents of children with autism problems continue to be financially penalised, we will return to the era when such parents had no option other than to send their children to special schools. That would be a wrong and retrograde step.

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