Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I take this opportunity, first, to congratulate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on her appointment.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue as it gives me an opportunity to outline the current position regarding provision for children with special needs including autism. Enabling children with special educational needs, including autism, to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a real priority for the Government and for me as Minister of State with responsibility for special education. Currently we know that almost 20% of the total education budget, €1.9 billion, is invested in supporting children with special needs. As a result, the number of special education teachers, special needs assistants and special class and school places are at unprecedented levels. Provision in our 124 special schools has increased from 6,848 placements in 2011 to 7,872 this year. Nationally, 167 new special classes opened in the 2019-20 school year, which means that there are 1,618 special classes in place compared to 548 in 2011.

Where new special education places are opened, there is a menu of supports provided to schools by the Department, including additional teachers, special needs assistants and professional development. Notwithstanding the extent of this investment, there are some parts of the country where increases in population and other issues have led to a shortage of school places for children with special educational needs. The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has overall responsibility for co-ordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide. It has well-established structures in place for engaging with schools and parents. The NCSE seeks to ensure that schools in an area can between them cater for all children who have been identified as needing special class placements. Normally, special class and special school places are established with the full co-operation of the schools in areas where they are required.

However, as the Deputy has quite correctly pointed out, there are some parts of the country where the NCSE has faced challenges in getting schools and their patrons to provide new special class or indeed special school places. This can cause much anguish for parents and families involved. As the Minister of State responsible, as the Deputy has pointed out, I have power under section 37A of the Education Act to direct a school to provide additional provision where all reasonable efforts have failed. The legislation contains a procedure through which the capacity of schools in an area can be tested and through which ultimately, a ministerial direction can be made requiring a school to make additional special education provision available. While I am prepared to use the legislation when necessary to ensure that children can access a suitable education, my preference is for schools to engage with this challenge on a voluntary basis because this is the right thing to do for the children in their community.

The Deputy may be aware that the legislation was used for the very first time in 2019 in the Dublin 15 area. Significant progress has been made in that area on foot of action taken under section 37A. A new special school was established there and six schools also agreed to open special classes, thereby meeting the need for additional places in the area. The experience of Dublin 15 shows that real and practical challenges can be addressed by working together to provide additional special class and special school places.

The Deputy may also be aware that my Department and the NCSE is also continuing its engagement with schools, patron bodies, parents and others across south Dublin to bring the required additional special class and special school placements on stream and this work is ongoing.

As for Dublin North-West, the NCSE has advised that there are currently nine primary and three post-primary ASD classes established in the area. St. Paul’s special school in Beaumont also caters for students with ASD and in addition, the NCSE has established three new primary ASD classes, as well as two new post-primary ASD classes for the coming school year.

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