Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Costello for allowing me to speak on the matter. We had a virtual meeting that involved the Minister of State and it was made clear that she would visit the proposed school and the community.

That is imperative now, because as the Minister of State herself said, a report expected before the end of the year. We are almost at the end of the year as it is 1 December today. There is not much time left to do this and for the Minister of State to get some idea and, we hope, to make some promise in respect of what she has said previously,which is that the future of special needs education should be in community designated special needs schools. This unit is a model for a community-based special needs facility, as was stated by Deputy Costello, and this is because of the engagement of the community, the parents and the families of the children. It is absolutely outstanding. The Minister of State has witnessed this at the meetings, and it would be a big plus and an absolute necessity for her to try before the end of the year to go down and meet the parents, the kids and the community in respect of the autism spectrum disorder, ASD, unit in Crumlin.

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