Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The number of children in ASD classes has increased by 100% in the past five years. We have increased the number from 500 to over 1,000. We have increased the number of resource teachers who are focused on the needs of children with learning difficulties and special needs by 41%. There is a significant investment in this area. This year we are introducing a new model for the allocation of resource teaching, which will be fairer, will give schools more autonomy and will not require very expensive diagnostic tests to be provided.

I am confident we will see steady improvement, although it is obviously conditional on the economy continuing to perform and resources becoming available.

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