Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The level of demand for autism spectrum disorder units will probably increase in the near future because of the backlog in assessments and diagnosis. There are children currently in mainstream classes who have no choice but to be there because their needs have not been formally diagnosed yet. I appreciate what the Minister of State says about extra classes. There are none in Carrick-on-Suir or south Tipperary. She can tell me about the 95 in Tipperary, but I do not think the Department realises how big a county Tipperary is. It is grand to say 95, but it is the biggest inland county in Ireland, so 95 is not enough as far as we or the parents are concerned.

In one case, a family is trying to make preparation for their daughter's education and they need finance to do so because of the delay in getting a formal diagnosis leaving them in limbo. It is another mess. I appreciate that the pandemic has caused backlogs, but it cannot be used as an excuse for everything that is going on. The Minister of State needs to look at the future and prepare for the increasing demand and the responsibility that will fall to her and her colleagues in the Department. I appeal to the Minister of State to put Carrick-on-Suir on her agenda. As far as I can see, it has been left behind either out of convenience or because the system is broken. The reply the Gaelscoil received indicates that the system is indeed broken, because the reasons for the refusal had no basis in reality and are factually incorrect.

Our children should be served better in Tipperary and around the country. Many have been through an incredibly difficult time during the pandemic. The Minister of State has a responsibility to them and their families, to listen to their needs, to address their demands, and to provide for them. I am not laying the blame with the Minister of State. Carrick-on-Suir has already been let down by the health system, the Department of Health and the Minister for Health, with St. Brigid's hospital closing. I ask the Minister of State to address the issue of ASD classes in that area and to at least give the people of Carrick-on-Suir some hope.

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