Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank both Deputies for the points that they have raised in respect of special education. I speak as someone who back in 1998 when I was Minister for Education and Science brought in the first ASD unit in mainstream schools. At that time autism was not even recognised as a category deserving of special educational provision in the form of special pupil-teacher ratios or as a category of disability. I also introduced SNAs for the first time into mainstream education. I have kept a long-term interest in this area. The key agenda then was to create an automatic entitlement to a school place for children with special needs.

I am not satisfied with the current situation. I think that last year, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, was given the power to recommend that the Minister direct a school to provide for special education in the form of a class or ASD unit at second level. As Deputy Doherty said that has been used sparingly. So far I think there have been two cases. We need to review that legislation. In my view, there has to be a cultural shift as well, particularly at second level. All schools have to be open to having units for children with special needs if they are required in the context of ASD or indeed general provision. Of course they have to be resourced in order to do that.

In the early days when all of this started, there was tremendous momentum behind it and principals took it on board and got resources. They did not get those resources immediately but they did get them. That said, there is a particular problem at second level. I would like intervention to be earlier, with the Minister and the Department, on foot of recommendations from the NCSE, moving to ensure that units are provided in schools and that resources are provided. There should be greater advocacy for the child within the system. Under the current legislative framework, parents are applying to different schools and get support from the special educational needs organiser, SENO, on the ground but very often, it is the parents who are chasing schools to see if they can get a place for their child. The system should be coming to the family, having identified a suitable, optimal place for their child. That is what I would like to see in place and I am working with the Minister and Ministers of State at the Department of Education and Skills and with the NCSE who have known my views on this for a long time prior to my coming into government. Those two measures would help to broaden access and participation but above all, to ensure that children can get access to places in their own schools in their own communities. That will require a shift in approach on all fronts, within schools, the Department and the NCSE. That is the direction of travel, as I see it.

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