Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to raise this important Topical Issue debate relating to the Offaly school of special education based in Kilcruttin, Tullamore, which has capacity for 36 children. The school currently caters for 34 children with a 35th child to start in the coming weeks, which will leave it with just one vacancy. The school has a staff of 26 with 11 bus escorts. The children catered for are in the severe to profound range of intellectual disability, moderate to severe intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder, ASD.

They require teaching in a specifically-designed premises away from mainstream education schools. The circumstances of each child attending the school in Tullamore are unique. Their needs include learning difficulties, communications disorders, physical disabilities and behaviour and emotional problems, to cite some of the many possible issues pertaining to these children. I was recently invited to the school to meet the staff and some of the board of management members. I saw first hand the important and sometimes challenging issues that the teaching and support staff deal with every day. I thank the Minister for his informal meeting with the principal, Ms Denise Cole, and Mr. Frank Brennan, a member of the board of management. Deputy Barry Cowen and I imposed on the Minister's official engagement when he went to visit the Midlands Skill Centre. I thank him for that and I thank the centre for allowing our intervention and the hijacking of a few moments of his time. It is much appreciated. It is clear that the staff are providing a great service to the children. I learned how each child will have a fully tailored education and care programme to ensure that their specific needs are met. The staff provided me with some of the positive outcomes that have been achieved in Kilcruttin for the children. The ethos of the school is to work towards incremental improvements and learning outcomes at a pace that suits each child's own needs and abilities.

There are three ASD classes and three classes for severe, profound and multiple disability. Many of the children have challenging behaviours and they do not have a general purpose room or a playground. As the Minister may be aware, movement breaks are essential for children with ASD to manage their sensory regulation which, in turn, reduces episodes of challenging behaviour. Only one room has a break-out room where children can go in the event that a classroom environment becomes intolerable for them. Pupils may need to take time out during the school day and it is essential that the students can avail of physiotherapy or relaxation and that there are facilities in the school to allow this. I was advised during my visit that other students can be negatively impacted and upset during events such as this, and that a lack of suitable facilities currently at the school often escalates situations that would ordinarily be more easily managed.

The school is in a good position to avail of additional rental space directly adjacent to the premises, if the Department would sanction this development. I am advised that it will cost approximately €16,000 per annum and I call on the Minister's officials to re-examine the proposal, which I understand was received negatively in the context of the significant benefits that this would bring to the school community. This proposal is also supported by the HSE physiotherapy department, which says that the children need it, and that equipment is required to be moved around and that storage for it is an issue. I hope that the Minister can give this matter the urgent consideration it deserves.

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