Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am thankful for the opportunity to raise with the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, the overall shortage of secondary school places for children with autism spectrum disorder and the additional difficulties raised by the application of an admissions policy for ASD classes that protects a particular religious ethos. On the broader issue, currently on the south side of Dublin there are exactly 42 places at second level to cater for the 150 affected children who are currently in primary school. There is probably not a need for an exact match in terms of numbers because some children at the severe end of the spectrum will never proceed to second level. On the other hand, there are children in mainstream education at primary level despite the fact that they have autism to some degree. If they are to proceed to second level, they will need the special supports, at least for part of the day.

We can say for certain there is a very severe shortage of places at second level. I am sure the Minister knows only too well the anxiety this causes among parents whose children are coming to the end of primary school and who realise there may be no further educational opportunities for them. Those parents will see other children moving on but not theirs, despite the fact that many children on the spectrum are capable of moving on. Some are very capable of doing so.

Every year, parents start looking for places. If they do not get any that are suitable for their children in terms of educational supports, the outcomes are not good, for them or their children. Over the years, I have supported both individual parents and organisations in seeking additional places. We were really very pleased on the south side when a school finally agreed to provide additional classes. There were two special classes set up, which raised a number of places from 30 to 42. However, a problem arises in that all the places are in the Protestant faith school, which has informed the non-Protestant faith parents that their children are unlikely to be admitted to the classes because it gives preference to children of the Protestant faith. I fully support the protection of religious ethos for all schools where mainstream pupils are concerned but it seems absolutely unnecessary that there should be any such protection, and unlikely that there would be a threat to the ethos, when providing places to children with a disability. The children have nowhere else to go. The 12 additional places are the only new ones on the whole south side of Dublin that have been provided in recent times.

I acknowledge the Minister is proceeding with the education (admission to schools) Bill, which I believe covers this issue. People are quite happy with how it is to be dealt with but, in the meantime, the majority of children are excluded from the new places. The underlying problem is the shortage of places overall. A selection process of some sort is inevitable where there is a gap between supply and demand. I am putting to the Minister today the overall shortage of classes. If she refers to that and the religious ethos problem, I will be very grateful.

See this speech in context